


can you take all my love?

by geminicat



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (it's weed), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Blow Jobs, Chicago (City), Friends With Benefits, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Miscommunication, Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Riding, Semi-Public Sex, Switching, everything is fully consensual, mark has an exhibitionist kink probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26718643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminicat/pseuds/geminicat
Summary: Johnny raises an eyebrow, resting his chin in his palm as he looks at Mark. “Man, honestly? I wish you’d moved next door sooner. I really had a good time today. I mean it, seriously, anytime you wanna hang.”When Mark, a little flustered, chokes on his laugh, Johnny has to turn his head away so Mark won’t see his blush.Mark is so cute, and Johnny issofucked.[or: Johnny and Mark are neighbors. And then some.]
Relationships: Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 64
Kudos: 548





	can you take all my love?

**Author's Note:**

> hey, hi, it's me again, back with MORE johnmark! if you know me, or follow me on twitter at all, you probably know that living in chicago is about 95% of my personality, and i've been ITCHING to write a johnny fic based in chicago for over a year now. so i did it! and i ended up with...all of this! a whole 22k of it!
> 
> as always, my endless gratitude to [laura](https://https://archiveofourown.org/users/hereigoagain) and [courtz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/panpipe/pseuds/panpipe), for putting up with my kicking and screaming the past 2 months I was writing this, and all your edits, suggestions, and help. and your encouraging yells. ily always 💖
> 
> title from [boom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_e-IC0VwZM), because the johnmark during beyond live is seared into my brain forever.

Johnny meets Mark on a Sunday afternoon.

He’s coming back from the farmers market, his normal Sunday morning routine. Wake up, work out, protein shake, shower, market, home. Like clockwork.

Currently, he’s fumbling for his keys outside of his door, rearranging the two bags on his arms for better maneuvering. He’s breathing slightly heavier than normal, having opted to take the stairs to the fourth floor instead of waiting for the notoriously slow elevator.

Johnny’s so busy dealing with his key situation ( _how do they get so deep into his pockets every time?_ ) that he doesn’t even notice the apartment next to his has it’s door propped open until someone is coming out. Said someone is clearly not looking, because the first thing Johnny hears is an “Oh, _shit,_ ” startling him so badly his neck cracks as he looks over just in time to see a boy trip over his own feet and an armful of cardboard go flying everywhere.

Johnny drops his bags, immediately stepping over to help.

“Shit, man, are you okay?” he asks, approaching where the boy is lying on the floor. He reaches out to help as the boy groans and pushes himself up, taking Johnny’s proffered hand. He looks up at Johnny, and — 

_Whoa._

“Sorry dude, oh my god, what an introduction right, haha.” The boy cringes, clearly embarrassed. 

He takes his hand from Johnny’s now that he’s standing upright, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose before rubbing both of his palms onto his jeans. He offers Johnny an awkward smile.

Johnny doesn’t know what else to say, mostly just feels speechless at this _very cute boy_ in front of him. He hopes he’s not staring too much.

“Whew, going to have to get used to the step in front of my door otherwise this will absolutely keep happening to me,” the boy says, eyes darting around as Johnny manages to find his voice again.

“Yeah, uh — the building itself is a little fucked but you’ll get used to it. None of the floors are level, anywhere.” Johnny cracks a smile which the boy returns, albeit hesitantly, before his face morphs into one of concern.

“Oh my god, shit, sorry I haven’t even introduced myself yet, wow, my mom would kill me — hi! Um, I’m Mark. I just moved in yesterday.” Mark smiles again, offering his hand to Johnny to shake. Johnny takes it, this time noticing how his hands completely cover Mark’s smaller ones.

“Nice to meet you, man. I’m Johnny. I’ve lived here a few months now, glad to have someone new on this floor. The other two apartments are —” Johnny lowers his voice, checking the hallways around them, “ _kinda_ weird, plus they have a dog that never stops barking. Like. Never. So just a warning, that’s definitely going to keep you up at night.” 

Mark laughs at that, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Oh man, don’t worry I’m used to it — my roommates in college ‘found’ a dog on the streets one time and took it in. I loved him, but _wow_ was he loud.”

“Well, I wish you the best of luck with this one; he keeps Sunny up all night and she can usually sleep through _anything_ ,” Johnny tells him, before his eyes catch on the broken down boxes strewn about the floor. “Oh shit, let me help you with those by the way.”

Johnny bends down to start collecting this boxes, before Mark can finish saying, “Wait — wait you don’t have to —”

Look, Johnny’s mom raised him right, and he _is_ going to help his cute new neighbor take his boxes to the recycling. What kind of neighbor would he be if he didn’t? 

_And_ if he’s able to maybe show off his arms on the way, well, who’s going to judge him. He’s absolutely not flexing more than usual. Of course not.

“It’s really no problem Mark, don’t worry. You just moved in, I’m sure you’re exhausted. It’s the least I can do,” Johnny says brightly, having already gathered all the cardboard in his arms. “Was there anything else you wanted to bring down to the recycling or was this it?” he asks, raising an eyebrow back towards Mark’s apartment.

“No, uh, that’s it, it’s my last load of boxes to bring downstairs actually, I brought the rest down this morning.” 

Mark is hot on his heels when they near the elevator, Johnny using his elbow to hit the down button and watching as the numbers tick ever-so-slowly. It’s a bit awkward — he thinks Mark might be watching him, but every time Johnny looks down Mark is just turning the other way. He feels a little flushed, which is strange. It’s not like he’s never seen a cute boy boy before. 

Granted, Mark is a little more than just _cute_ , but anyway.

The charged air between them dissipates when they enter the elevator, Johnny finally finding his voice again and starting small talk. He learns some about Mark in this time — importantly that he just moved here for grad school, starting at DePaul next week for his masters in Creative Writing. Johnny himself finished his Master’s two years ago, which he shares with Mark, opening up a flurry of questions Mark has for him, about his own program (Architecture), and his job now (working for the city).

“Dude, that’s like, _so_ cool, I can’t even imagine how fun that must be everyday,” Mark says, eyes bright. Johnny just shrugs in response, leaning back against the railing of the elevator.

“Eh — honestly it sounds a lot more exciting on paper. Day to day it gets pretty mindless, but sometimes cool projects float through.” The elevator dings again, the doors sliding back open onto the ground floor. Johnny jerks his chin for Mark to go first, following him out into the hallway, down to the door for the back of their building.

“So why DePaul? Chicago’s definitely pretty far from Vancouver,” Johnny asks offhand.

“Honestly, I just wanted a change of scenery, I never really left Canada and thought I’d see what else was out there I guess! Chicago seemed like a dope spot, plus the program is really good, and uh, I love winter so I definitely wanted to go somewhere where it actually snowed, y’know?”

“Luckily as a born and bred Canadian boy, you'll be a little more prepared. I had a few friends in college get completely _fucked_ their first winter, they didn't even own a winter coat before coming to the city.”

The conversation trails off as they reach the end of the hallways, Mark shouldering open the door to the back alley and holding it open for Johnny to walk through. Johnny makes his way towards the recycling bin, throwing the boxes inside as Mark holds the door open for them. He shakes out his hands before turning back towards Mark and smiling.

“There you go! Hopefully this means you’re mostly done unpacking, I’m sure it’s been a tiring couple days,” Johnny says as they walk back inside.

“God, yeah, I’ve got everything out of the boxes at least now it’s just — figuring out where it all goes. My mom always did this for me in college.” Mark whines, just a little. “For real though dude, thanks again, you totally didn’t have to do this. Sorry for uh, interrupting your morning. You probably didn’t expect to help your clumsy ass new neighbor out before 1pm.” 

Johnny just laughs. “It’s really no problem, man. Truly, the rest of my Saturday plans were to unload my bags and then become one with my couch for the rest of the afternoon.” He notices he has to look down slightly to talk to Mark as they wait for the elevator. He likes that.

They’re mostly silent on the ride back up, but Johnny doesn’t feel uncomfortable anymore. Mark tends to hum a little bit under his breath when he’s not talking and it helps to fill the space, although Johnny doesn’t even know if Mark realizes he’s doing it.

The ride back up to their apartments feels significantly shorter than the ride down. Next thing Johnny knows, they’re stepping out onto the fourth floor and making their way to their doors.

Johnny grabs his forgotten bags in front of his apartment as Mark pauses in front of his own door.

“Thanks again man, I’ll definitely figure out how to repay you —” Mark starts, but Johnny waves him off.

“Really, no problem. If you ever need anything else, feel free to knock on my door, yeah?” Johnny says.

Mark is looking at him with wide eyes.

“Hah — yeah, um, of course. Well, I’ll let you get back to your day! So um, see you around I guess?” Mark’s door is open now and he waves at Johnny before stepping into this apartment.

“You too,” Johnny says back just before he ducks inside, smiling to himself as his door shuts with a soft _click_.

✶✶✶✶

True to his word, Johnny _does_ spend all of Sunday sunk into his couch, flipping aimlessly through Netflix. His cat, Sunny, spends most of the day curled up in him, purring on his chest, and he uses that as his excuse to not move for hours on end. 

It’s not like he can just _move_ her off of him. That’d be evil.

The beginning of the week passes by with no excitement, Johnny drowning in work and barely having time to think about the new cute neighbor until Tuesday evening when Johnny’s in the middle of making dinner for himself and hears a knock on the door.

 _Hm,_ he thinks to himself, drying his hands off onto a towel before heading to his front hallway. He definitely isn’t expecting anyone; any of his friends would’ve texted before coming by.

He unlocks the latch, turning the handle and opening his door to — a very nervous Mark, standing in the hallway. He looks up at the sound of the door, immediately making eye contact . He’s talking before Johnny can even open his mouth to say hi.

“Heyyyy Johnny, um, I’m really _really_ sorry to bother you but. Uh — so, my shower is broken? I’ve been talking to the landlord for two days now, but it seems like something got messed up when they were updating the apartment last month and I don’t know, I guess no one can come out to fix it for another couple days. So like — god I’m sorry this is such a weird favor to ask, but honestly, it’s been a couple days and I just feel kind of gross, and like —” Mark is full on rambling now, and Johnny needs to stop him before he has a heart attack in Johnny’s doorway.

“Mark. Breathe, please. Do you need to use my shower?” Johnny asks point blank.

Johnny watches as several emotions pass through Mark’s face. His initial embarrassment quickly gives way to bright-eyed relief, before immediately turning back into a ball of nervous energy. “Only if that’s okay with you! I know we like, barely know each other so it’s probably weird having some random neighbor use your shower, I just have nowhere else to really go — I mean I thought about going to a hotel even but like, I’d rather not use my loan on that you know?” 

And Johnny is just—overly endeared.

“Dude, it’s completely fine. Please use my shower. It does not bother me at all. I won’t even charge you for using my body wash,” Johnny jokes. He’s trying to calm Mark down but it’s clearly not the right thing to do because Mark _blanches_.

“Oh my god, please let me buy you dinner or something to pay you back, I swear, I’ll be so fast —”

“Mark, I was joking, it’s fine — _please_ relax. You’re totally welcome, as many times as you need to use it before yours gets fixed. The landlord here is consistently slow with repairs; I’ve been there, trust me.” Johnny thinks back to the time when the hot water heater was broken in the building for a full week and how many cold, miserable showers he had to take until they were able to replace it. Mark visibly relaxes then, shoulders slumping down

“ _God_ thank you so much Johnny, you’re a lifesaver, I feel like I smell so badly, so like, sorry about that also, haha. Um — let me just grab my stuff and I’ll be right back over?”

“No problem. I’ll leave the door unlocked, so just let yourself in. I’m just cooking dinner right now, so I’ll be in the kitchen,” Johnny says before Mark scurries back into his own apartment next door.

He retreats back to the kitchen, smiling to himself because _Mark’s coming over_. Granted, he’s coming over to use his shower and nothing else, but Johnny will take what he can get. 

He’s pulling his pan out of the oven when he hears a tentative knock on the door, and then the soft click of the handle.

“Um — Johnny? Hi? I’m coming in now?” Mark’s voice filters through his hallways, hesitant.

“Hey! I’m just in the kitchen,” Johnny raises his voice to be heard around the corner. Mark peeks his head around, finding Johnny by the island.

“I’m assuming we have the same apartment layout, so I imagine you know where the bathroom is?” Johnny asks him. Mark looks around and nods, eyeing the bathroom immediately.

“Yeah — I think we’re just flipped. Thanks again, man, for real. I’m just gonna — shower now?” Mark’s still looking at Johnny, jerking a thumb back towards the bathroom.

“Go for it. I’ll just be in here, let me know if you need anything.” Johnny shoos him off, before turning back to the stove to turn off the burner. 

He hums softly to himself as he hears the water turn on and tries his best not to think of his _very_ cute and _very_ sweet neighbor uh. Naked. In his shower.

He hardly knows the guy yet but he _wants_ to, is the problem. Johnny doesn’t know exactly how to go about that though, as Mark seems to spook at the smallest of things. He attributes that to him being in a brand new place, all alone for the first time, but that’s why Johnny wants to _help._ He’s not _just_ thinking with his dick!

He’s lost in thought and doesn’t notice the water shut off until the bathroom door is creaking open. Johnny turns from the stove turns to see Mark step out, drying his hair with a towel. He’s dressed casually, in a t-shirt and shorts, but Johnny still tracks the line of water he can see running down his neck and — 

“Man you have _no_ idea how good that felt, I haven’t been able to shower since Saturday morning. I was starting to offend _myself_.” Mark grins, breaking Johnny out of his trance. 

It’s at this point that Sunny finally wakes up from where she’s been sleeping curled up on the couch, perking up at the sound of another person in the apartment that she doesn’t recognize.

Johnny sees her little paws peek over the couch cushions first, before she’s jumping over the back, onto the floor, and padding over to where Mark stands in the hallways. Mark startles when he feels her rub against his shins, meowing at him for attention. His eyes immediately zero in on her and go wide.

“ _Holy shit_ ,” Mark whispers, awestruck. He drops to squat down next to her, reaching his hand out for her to rub her face against. “Johnny. You have a _cat_ . Oh my god. Oh my _god,_ she’s so cute.”

Sunny is making herself comfortable, Mark scratching under her chin as she mewls at him, licking at his fingers. Mark coos back. Johnny might die. This is easily the cutest thing he’s seen in...maybe his whole life.

“That’s Sunny, self appointed love of my life and the best cat in the world,” he says, extremely proud because showing off his cat is his favorite thing to do. Mark jerks his chin up, understanding clear in his face.

“ _Ohhhh._ Oh. Okay. This is Sunny got it, wow,” Mark says. Johnny is about to ask what he means when his timer goes off, signalling the rest of the food to be done. 

“She really likes to be pet behind her ear,” Johnny says offhand, turning the burner off. “I hope your shower was good, sometimes the hot water can be a little finicky after they replaced the heater a few months ago.” 

“Yeah dude, it was perfect, could not ask for anything more at this point.” Sunny apparently decided she’s bored already, because she makes her way back to her spot on the couch and leaves Mark awkwardly in the hallway, fidgeting as he looks at Johnny.

“Um, I guess I’ll just head back n—” Mark starts, at the same time that Johnny blurts out

“Did you wanna stay for dinner? I always make too much.”

They stare at each other, before Mark starts rambling again.

“Oh god, I really can’t impose on you anymore, I just used your _shower_ , I couldn’t —” 

Johnny stops him mid sentence.“Mark, for real, it’s fine and you aren’t imposing. I’m _inviting_ you to stay. Plus, I’m assuming you haven’t had a lot of time to go out and grocery shop yet.”

Mark lets out a strained laugh.

“Um, actually, you know, I don’t even own any pots or pans yet, so…” He at least manages to look ashamed about it. “Don’t look at me like that! At my last place, my roommates bought all the stuff for the kitchen and cooked most of the time, and it’s not like I needed my own stuff when I moved back in with my parents for the summer!” Mark is whining again, just a little bit.

Johnny bites back a smile.

“Mark. Please stay for dinner. I would feel like a terrible neighbor letting you go back to...whatever you were planning to eat for dinner without any pots or pans.”

“It’s mostly just uh, a lot of instant ramen…” Mark mumbles. Johnny rolls his eyes, before taking out two plates from his cabinet and starting to serve them both.

“Okay well, you’re definitely staying for dinner so you can go and reassure your mom you aren’t dying of fucking sodium intake in Chicago.”

Mark hesitantly makes his way over to the island, standing by one of the chairs as Johnny sets a plate down in front of him. He grabs his own plate, making his way to the other seat. They both sit, Mark taking the fork Johnny offers him.

“You’re like — so nice, man, I really owe you one,” Mark says, before taking a bite of the food. His eyes immediately shut and he lets out a soft noise. 

  
Johnny does not let his brain dwell on that noise. Nope.

“Duuuude. Oh my god, this is _so_ good, what the fuck, how did you learn how to cook like this? I can barely cook eggs without burning them, this is like — my _mom_ levels of cooking.” Mark suddenly stops, eyes sharpening. “If you ever meet my mom, never ever tell her I said that.” 

Johnny just laughs.

“I promise you I’m probably not as good as your mom, you’ve just been surviving on dehydrated noodles and salt for 3 days straight,” he says, raising an eyebrow at Mark, who at least has the decency to look sheepish.

“Look, I’m going to buy _actual_ food eventually, I just have to get — more settled first. And, y’know, probably buy some pans…” He trails off as Johnny laughs.

“Well, if you’re ever up for it, I go to the farmer’s market just south of us every Sunday. But for reference — there’s a Mariano’s like, 10 minutes up the street, which I’d definitely recommend you grocery shop at so you don’t like, die of malnutrition.”

Johnny’s surprised when Mark actually latches onto his offer. “Oh, yeah man, really? That’d be awesome, I always loved tagging along with my mom when she’d go to the market, even if I barely even know how to cook any of it.” Mark rubs at the back of his neck. “That’s also uh, really good to know — I’ve been a little wary of going...anywhere? The public transport here is like, really confusing, man.”

“Trust me, you get used to the L. You’ll probably only end up using the red or brown line mostly, as it is. And once you find your regular bus stops, it’s a breeze. I tend to prefer biking everywhere, but no matter where you’re going there will be a way to get there.” Johnny pauses. “It just uh, may not be the easiest or the fastest. In all honesty our public transport is kind of shit, haha.”

Mark somehow manages to giggle, even through the mouthful of food in his mouth. 

Throughout dinner, Johnny learns that Mark talks — a lot. More than that, it seems like his mouth doesn’t really know how to ever slow down, even when he tries, which Johnny thinks is endearing. He talks about his college roommate and best friend from childhood, Donghyuck, his family, the TV show he just started watching recently. 

Johnny learns that Mark’s an only child, that parents dragged him to church every Sunday growing up (Johnny can relate, even though he definitely dropped _that_ once he got to high school). Mark talks endlessly about how excited he is for his Creative Writing program to start next week, about his undergrad degree in psychology that led him here.

Johnny eats extra slowly so he can have an excuse for Mark to stay longer, looking more and more at ease in Johnny’s kitchen the longer they talk. He absorbs it all, tucking away all the little Mark-ism’s he’s already noticing (his tendency to scratch behind his ear, to chew on his lip, how he can’t seem to ever sit still).

Maybe he’s not thinking things through—he’s been known to do that occasionally—but Johnny likes Mark. He likes him a lot. Enough to not want to freak him out by asking him out immediately. Enough to _not_ want to fuck this up. Mark is new in town, intimidated by public transport, went to Sunday school on a weekly basis growing up, and hasn’t seen much of anything outside of his hometown in Canada. Johnny doesn’t want to overwhelm him. Johnny doesn’t want to scare him _off._

For now, he will just not think about how much he’d like to kiss Mark’s sheepish grin off his face and instead do his best to get the other boy used to the city. 

✶✶✶✶

Johnny’s eating his own words a few days later.

Mark’s shower is _still_ not fixed. It’s Friday. Johnny might be going insane. He’s had to see Mark in just a towel _twice_ now; once because Mark realized he left his clothes outside the bathroom, and the other when Mark came running out after Sunny startled Johnny so badly he dropped his phone on his foot and let out too loud of a yell. 

So. Johnny’s going crazy. He cannot stop thinking about Mark, wet, in a towel. In his apartment. _Get a fucking grip, dude_ , his non-horny brain tells himself. _You’re just his neighbor, doing him a favor, please calm your goddamn dick._

With all of that, it means he’s seen Mark practically every day this week; sometimes he stays to talk, sometimes he’s gotta rush back to his apartment after the shower. He hasn’t stayed for dinner again, which is probably good because Johnny might’ve finally broken down from the extended exposure to Mark Giggles.

He just really hopes Mark’s shower is fixed soon. 

Johnny’s lamenting on his terrible, horrible life before his thoughts are interrupted by a loud _bang_ of glasses on the table as Yuta and Taeyong come back with their drinks. Johnny has been in charge of keeping their table while the two of them went up to the bar to order.

They try to do this at least once a month — work is crazy for all of them (crazier than they ever expected when planning out their _big city lives_ in college) so they make a point to keep a regular schedule of hanging out, just the three of them.

“Are you still thinking about your neighbor boy?” Yuta asks, sliding into the seat next to Johnny as Taeyong takes the one across from him.

“ _Yes_ ,” Johnny whines.

“Why don’t you just fuck him?” Taeyong supplies, helpful as always, taking a sip of his drink. Johnny makes a face and Taeyong rolls his eyes at him.

“Ah yes, the _feelings_ ,” Taeyong drawls out. “You know my motto. Fuck first, feelings later. But from what you’ve said, he clearly thinks you’re cute, at the very _least_.” 

Johnny pouts, picking up his beer and taking a pull. He picks at the tag. 

“Nah, I really just think that’s how he is. Plus, I don’t even know if he likes guys,” Johnny says. 

Yuta just laughs beside him.

“Johnny, trust me — anyone would probably like guys after they take a look at you. Just like — I don’t know, take your shirt off in front of him or something. Payback.”

“Very helpful guys. Let me just randomly take off my shirt for no reason at all next time he needs to use my shower. That’s not creepy or weird or anything,” Johnny says, sarcastically. Taeyong snorts across the table at him, cheeks already flushed from alcohol. He’s been a lightweight since college, and nothing has changed since graduating 3 years ago.

“Might as well just take off all your clothes at that rate. Really get the point across, you know,” Yuta winks, raising his glass in mock cheers. 

Johnny groans, rolling his eyes but letting the topic rest for now, Yuta and Taeyong already branching off to talk about Yuta’s roommate Jaehyun, who Yuta may or may not be fucking. Taeyong is determined for them to figure their shit out, even if Yuta denies anything happening between them.

He let’s their conversation wash over him, nursing his beer. He’s just a little buzzed; they’ve been at the bar over an hour already just catching up on their lives and complaining about their work weeks and the alcohol is starting to catch up with him. 

No matter the clowning he gets, Johnny’s grateful that they’ve managed to stay close through the years. They’re some of the only people, other than Ten, who will actually call him on his shit, _especially_ when it comes to guys. Which is both a good and terrible thing for him.

He shakes all sad, pining thoughts about Mark out of his head, to focus back in on the conversation where...Yuta has Taeyong in a headlock. He sighs, downing the rest of his beer before going to break them apart.

“See, Johnny is on my side,” Taeyong snips.

“Johnny is too busy thinking about cute Canada boy to have an actual thought. I’m not stupid enough to get into a relationship with my roommate.”

Johnny takes a sip of his beer, pointedly not answering, and Yuta makes an insulted sound while Taeyong cackles.

Yuta rolls his eyes. “Johnny gets no say in this, since he wants to fuck his neighbor.”

“No, no,” Taeyong says. “We’ve moved on from that. We’re figuring out your shit now. Let’s start from the beginning.”

Yuta groans, Taeyong grins, and Johnny is grateful to have them. 

✶✶✶✶

Johnny doesn’t see Mark much over the next couple weeks. Their landlord finally got his shower fixed over the weekend, so he has no reason to keep coming over to Johnny’s on the daily anymore.

Johnny misses him and his presence in the apartment. Even Sunny misses him, obviously upset she’s no longer getting extra pets from someone who _isn’t_ Johnny. 

Honestly, having Mark come over was a nice break in his week. Johnny hadn’t even thought about getting his number, since they didn’t need it when he could just knock on his door when Johnny was home, so the only way to contact him would be to physically go over to Mark’s, but Johnny doesn’t — exactly know what he would say. 

_Hey, I missed seeing your face and having you use my shower every day_? 

_Are we friends now? Can we be friends now_? 

_Want to watch a movie together while I stare at your eyes the whole time because you’re really cute and I haven’t gone on a date in over a year_?

Their schedules don’t line up either, not since Mark officially started classes. Mark is gone most nights a week, leaving the apartment before Johnny even makes it home from work.

Yuta and Taeyong are getting tired of him already, he can tell, completely ignoring any of his whiny texts in their group chat. He’s surprised they haven’t kicked him out of it yet.

He spends his Saturday bored, so Sunday finds Johnny leaving his apartment bright and early, heading out for the day. The weather still hasn’t changed, fall seeming further and further off each year, and Johnny’s tired of it, tired of sweating every time he steps out of his building. 

He’s locking his door behind him when he sees Mark walking down the hallway, looking a little worse for wear. He gives a small wave.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Johnny asks, startling Mark who jerks his head up and jumps at the sound of his voice.

“Oh! Heyyy Johnny! Um, y’know, just drank a little too much last night so I crashed on someone’s couch,” he says, nose scrunching. “Some of the other people in my program wanted to do like a bonding night out, or whatever, so I decided to tag along and. Here we are I guess.”

Johnny looks him over, subtly and — yeah, Mark definitely went out last night. Johnny thinks he’s only seen him in basketball shorts and hoodies until now, but currently Mark’s wearing actual skinny jeans and a shirt that _fits._ It’s a lot for Johnny’s brain to take in on Sunday at 9am. Mark has a _really_ small waist.

“Yeah, been there,” Johnny says, grimacing. There’s an awkward silence that hangs over them after that, so he decides _fuck it_ , and asks, “I know you just got back, but I was just leaving to go to the farmers market if you wanted to come with? If you were still interested, obviously.” 

He really hopes Mark’s still interested.

“Oh shit, dude, yeah for sure!” Mark nods furiously, before looking down at his current state. “Uh — can I just like, change and maybe drink some water first? It’ll only be like 5 minutes, I swear.”

“No problem, I’m not really in any rush. I’ll just chill out here until you’re ready,” Johnny says, leaning back against the wall that separates their doors.

“Okay, 5 minutes I swear!” Mark says, quickly unlocking his door and rushing inside, Johnny saluting him in response.

So. Spending the day with Mark... _outside_. Johnny does a little internal fist bump, pulling out his phone to text Taeyong and Yuta.

 **Johnny [9:13 am]**  
Guys. Mark’s coming with me to the farmers market

 **Yuta [9:14 am]**  
nice. u gonna fuck him after?  
nothing says foreplay like going to buy some vegetables together

 **Taeyong [9:14 am]**  
does the farmers market get you hot and bothered johnny? is that why you go every week?   
it’s the zucchinis isn’t it

 **Johnny [9:16 am]**  
One day you’ll both be dead and I *will* take full credit for it, you know that?

 **Yuta [9:17 am]**  
oh yea, talk dirty to me babe

 **Johnny [9:17 am]**  
Why don’t you go back to fucking your roommate, babe

 **Yuta [9:19 am]**  
eh, don’t know if jae is up for another round after last night 😏

 **Johnny [9:19 am]**  
🙄  
Did I ask.  
MARKS COMING OUT BYE DON’T TEXT ME

 **Taeyong [9:21 am]**  
😽don’t forget to wear a condom!  
have fun hope it goes well

Johnny pockets his phone, as Mark steps out from his doorway, looking significantly fresher than before and in a new set of clothes, glasses perched on his face. Johnny mourns the loss of his going out jeans as Mark smiles at him.

“You’re going to have to lead the way. I still don’t know anything other than my walk to the Brown Line,” he says, locking his front door. 

Johnny is only too happy to start as he leads them out of the building and down Clark.

“It’s pretty much a straight shot, so not much room to get lost no matter how much of a Chicago newbie you are. You’ve really gotta go explore around more, have you walked around the city at all yet?” 

“Haha, uhh no, not at all. It’s still a little intimidating, I just get off the train when Google tells me to, walk to my classes, then walk back to my train.”

“Aren’t your classes in the loop? You haven’t gone earlier at all to like...see things?” Mark ducks his head at Johnny’s words, sheepishly.

“It’s a lot, man! It’s intimidating being alone down there! There are so many people and so many buildings and I don’t even know _what_ I’m supposed to go see!”

“Dude, sometimes you just have to be a tourist for a day when you move to a new city. No better way to learn the city!” Johnny stops himself in his tracks, thinking. Mark stumbles ahead of him, craning his neck to look back at Johnny. “Do you have anything you have to do today?”

“...not really, I didn’t have anything else planned for the day?” Mark says, confused, as Johnny makes up his mind.

“Okay — change of plans. No market for us. We’re going to take you, Mark, whose last name I don’t actually know, on a whirlwind tourist day of Chicago. You’ve been here a month. It’s time, dude.” Johnny’s determined now. He’s lived here long enough at this point, and in the suburbs for even longer than that — plus, a whole day with Mark? Win-win situation.

“Wait, really? You sure? I’m not like, interrupting some exciting plans you had?” Johnny just gives Mark a look and he puts his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay okay! Just making sure! I’m totally down for that. Let’s do it!” Mark pauses, before adding, “Also, uh — it’s Lee. My last name, I mean. Mark Lee.”

“Alright then, Mark Lee, let’s go,” Johnny turns the corner to walk them to their L stop.

Johnny’s already planning out their day in his head. If he’s going to give Mark an obnoxiously touristy day, they’re going to have to spend most of it in the downtown — he’s thinking Millennium Park, the Riverwalk. They can always spend another day walking around Lincoln Park if Mark is interested. He relay’s all of this to Mark, who probably doesn’t even fully understand their plans but still agrees easily. They make their way to the Fullerton stop, walking leisurely before falling into an easy rhythm, their steps synced with one another. Johnny thinks about how easy it would be to take Mark’s hand like this, their pace uninterrupted.

After swiping their Ventra cards to get to the platform, they still have to wait a moment for the next train to arrive. It’s nice, because Mark is just _easy_ to talk to. He’s mostly been going off on a couple of his classes (he’s taking 3 this quarter), and how much work he already has two weeks in. Mark talks to him like they’ve been friends for years and Johnny is left trying to absorb as much information as he can.

The train isn’t very crowded, seeing as it’s still early on a Sunday, people still sleeping off their hangovers or starting new ones. They take over two seats as the train begins to move, starting their 15 minute ride to the loop. The city flies by them, the train becoming a little more full the closer they get downtown. 

They get off at Washington and Wabash (Mark, excitedly going, “oh hey I know where we are! We’re right by my school!”), a few blocks west of Millenium Park. 

It may be a major tourist attraction, but Johnny is particularly fond of the Bean ( _Cloud Gate_ , he hears in the nasally voice of one of his old professors). Yeah, sure, it’s just a really big reflective sculpture in the odd shape of a bean, but there’s a beauty in it, and Johnny particularly loves the way you can see almost the whole city reflected off of it, depending on the angle you’re looking from. 

He’s grateful to be the person bringing Mark to see it, because it means he gets to witness the way his eyes widen when they approach. 

“Yo, dude, this thing is like, way cooler than I expected it to be. Like, _daaaang_ ,” Mark says to Johnny, even if his gaze stays on the Bean. They walk up next to it, making their way through the Sunday crowd mulling about and taking selfies, close enough that Mark can put his hand on the side of the metal. 

“Shit, I gotta like, take some pictures and send them to my mom she’s gonna be so jealous,” Mark realizes, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. He aims his android at the surface, craning his neck over to look at Johnny. “Hey — you should be in the pic too, maybe my parents will listen to me when I tell them I really am making friends.”

Johnny laughs, taking a few steps to stand next to Mark. In their reflection, Johnny realizes just how much he towers over Mark, who’s at least a few inches smaller than him. He thinks of how easily he could fit up against him. Mark looks so excited, eyes bright and shining, catching on the sunlight reflecting on the mirrored surface. Johnny smiles for the camera before Mark can catch the fond expression on his face.

Mark snaps a few pictures, throwing up a few peace signs for good measure as Johnny laughs at him.

“Here, I can take a few solo shots of you, too,” Johnny says, gesturing for Mark to follow him a little further away from the Bean so he can get the full skyline in the background. He takes out his phone, walking further out to frame the shot. Mark keeps looking around, distracted by everything and everyone around him, and Johnny snaps a few candids.

“Hey, Mark — look at me,” Johnny calls, and Mark turns his focus back to Johnny, face automatically breaking into a smile when he sees the camera trained on him. From the angle, the skyline is reflected in the Bean in Johnny’s favorite way, and Mark is a perfect focal point. Johnny manages to get some good shots in, even with all the strangers walking in between them and getting in the way. 

He lowers his phone after deeming them good, making his way back over to Mark.

“Any good?” Mark asks eagerly.

“Yeah, perfect, I can text them to you; just give me your number,” Johnny says, offhand, scrolling through the pictures in his phone. He stops scrolling, the tips of his ears turning red as he realizes he did in fact just ask for Mark’s number. He fights to keep his expression neutral.

Mark asks for Johnny’s phone, and next thing Johnny knows he has a shiny new contact labeled “Mark Lee (neighbor)” in his phone.

 _Cute_ , he thinks, that Mark thinks he needs an identifier.

Johnny texts him the pictures he took as they walk around a little bit more, Mark taking plenty of more pictures on his phone. Johnny walks them past the Pavillion, trying not to ramble on too long about the architecture of the amphitheater. Mark is an avid listener, nodding along to everything Johnny says. 

The sun is shining bright in the sky, the weather on the cusp of fall, aka the two good weeks before Chicago inevitably plummets down to 40 degrees. Eventually, they leave Millenium Park, walking north up Michigan Avenue so that Johnny can take Mark to the river. 

They stop at a Starbucks on the way so Johnny can get his early afternoon coffee, and Johnny watches Mark fumble through his request for soy milk in his latte. Coffees in hand, they continue up the increasingly busy sidewalks until hitting the bridge.

“If you ever have time, or your parents come to visit or something, you should definitely do a boat tour,” Johnny says over his shoulder, as he leads Mark down the stairs to the riverwalk. “It’s actually really well done — not to mention a really nice way to see the city. And then you won’t just have me spewing building facts at you, but someone probably way more interesting and knowledgeable.”

“I don’t know man, you’re pretty interesting I’d say,” Mark offers earnestly. 

Johnny preens, just a little bit.

The riverwalk is busy, especially at this time of day; Johnny tends to prefer it on weekdays when he can take his lunch and sit on the steps. He and Mark make their way around a large group of people, falling in step beside each other. They stop at almost every bridge so Mark can take pictures of the differing views and buildings, but Johnny gets it. 

He points out where he tends to eat lunch when the weather is nice, and where he and some of his coworkers go for happy hour after work. Mark’s shifted closer, to avoid people walking the other way and every so often his arm brushes against Johnny’s. He’s been ranting about his old college roommates, Donghyuck and Jaemin, and how they’re both trying to date one of their friends, which has, as he told them, turned into a huge mess for everyone involved.

“Oh dude, I feel their pain. In college, my roommate Yuta— You’ll meet him at some point, I’m sure, and he’ll absolutely deny this but, yeah, we were always going after the same guys. It was so annoying, but luckily he’s been in love with his current roommate for the past 2 years, no matter how much he’ll deny it,” Johnny says, laughing slightly to himself. He’s grateful that he doesn’t have to worry about hiding Mark to protect him from Yuta’s inevitable flirting, the way he’d had to with so many of his college crushes before. He smiles wryly as he continues, “I don’t have to worry about that anymore, thankfully.”

Next to him, Mark trips over his own feet. Again. 

Johnny stops in his tracks, turning to check on him.

“You good?” 

“Haha, yeah, totally fine just. Tripped! That’s uh, good you don’t have to go after the same. Guys. Anymore.” 

Mark doesn’t look fine at all. His voice is pitched higher than normal, and if Johnny isn’t mistaken, he looks a bit flushed. Johnny raises his eyebrow, but Mark composes himself before he can ask more questions, continuing, “So he’s in love with his roommate then?” which sets Johnny off on his own tirade about how _fucking annoying_ they’re being.

They make it to Merchandise Mart, before looping back around so Mark can get both views. It’s around the State Street bridge that Johnny checks his phone and is surprised to see it’s already 1pm. How the hell did so much time pass? 

He stops Mark by the stairway. “Hey, you hungry? I was thinking we could Red Line down to Chinatown and get some food there before going back. There’s a place that has some bomb dumplings, plus then you can see a whole other area of the city.” Johnny hopes he comes off casual and not like he’s vaguely desperate for Mark to say yes so they can spend more time together. 

“Yo, I could totally go for some food right now, I’m game,” Mark says, grinning at Johnny, who just grins back like a dumbass. 

He tries to remind himself this isn’t a date, that they’re just two bros having a convenient meal together, that Mark is accepting just because he is new in town and looking for more friends, not a _boyfriend_ , but his stupid heart won’t listen. It thumps loudly in his chest as he leads the two of them back up to street level, headed to the train.

✶✶✶✶

“So? What do you think?” Johnny asks, as Mark takes his first bite. They’re tucked into the back of Hing Kee, managing to snag the one empty table in the restaurant. It’s busy, nearing the end of lunch rush, so he’s glad they’re in the corner and blocked from the noise echoing around the place.

“Shit, dude, these are dope,” Mark says, excited, after he swallows the food. He grins at Johnny, before continuing. “There’s this place by school that Hyuck and I used to go to all the time, and I wasn’t sure how they would compare, but these definitely live up to it.”

Johnny rolls his eyes, everything being a competition with Vancouver, but he gets it. He’s relieved to find thatMark thinks they’re good, at least. He wants nothing more than to impress Mark with...well, everything.

They make their way through the three baskets of dumplings in front of them. Since they’re both hungry, it leaves little room for talking, but Johnny does get to laugh at Mark when he bites into one too hard and soup goes everywhere (though the exact same thing happens to him five seconds later, which he probably deserves).

Johnny leans back without a second thought as he finishes his last xiao long bao, tipping the chair back on its back legs, balancing as he stretches his arms behind his head. He takes the moment to simply drink in Mark’s presence, marveling at the guy across the table from him. Mark’s enthusiastically slurping at his last xiao long bao, and, _god_ , it’s honestly kind of hot how much Mark loves food. Truly, Johnny was a little worried based off of their first introduction, but Mark talked so animatedly about the places he used to go with his roommates back in Canada that Johnny’s worries were settled.

Mark puts down his chopsticks and his spoon, mirroring Johnny’s position as they digest their food. 

“So, Mark Lee. Thoughts on Chicago now?” Johnny asks. He can’t keep the smile out of his face as he watches him.

“Dude, I love it! For real, it’s so cool here, there’s so many things to do and see and I haven’t even _seen_ most of the city yet. It’s a little overwhelming, still. But good! Especially today!” Mark’s smile is wide enough that his eyes crinkle at the corners.

They sip their water for a bit, letting the noise of the restaurant settle around them.

“Thanks for like — all of this, seriously. Today was so awesome and probably the best day I’ve had since moving here. You’re like, really cool?” Mark says, a little awkwardly, ears turning red. 

Johnny smiles at him, punching his arm.

“Hey, I had fun too so it’s no problem, Mark. You’re like...really cool too,” he says, teasing. “Trust me, I will never turn down a day to explore the city. Anytime you wanna hang, just let me know. It’ll be nice to have someone to chill with directly next door.” 

“Even if it’s just me, haha.”

Johnny raises an eyebrow, resting his chin in his palm as he looks at Mark. “Man, honestly? I wish you’d moved next door sooner. I really had a good time today. I mean it, seriously, anytime you wanna hang.”

When Mark, a little flustered, chokes on his laugh, Johnny has to turn his head away so Mark won’t see his blush.

Mark is so cute, and Johnny is _so_ fucked. 

✶✶✶✶

They both take what Johnny says to heart, because before Johnny knows it he’s seeing Mark _all the time_. Whenever Mark doesn’t have classes, it seems like he’s over on Johnny’s couch, hanging with Sunny, drinking through whatever alcohol or beer he brought that night. It’s _nice_ ; Johnny’s stupid crush on Mark aside, he’s cool as hell to hang out with and they get along better and faster than Johnny has with most of his friends. 

Something about them just _clicks_ , and Johnny could definitely get used to this. Maybe he can even will away his crush on Mark (who Johnny still doesn’t even know if he’s into guys or not), so he can just enjoy their hang out nights.

It’s a Friday night, Mark is done with class for the week, Johnny’s done with work, and now they’re going to spend the rest of the night getting high as shit.

Mark’s been here for about an hour, him and Johnny passing the pen back and forth as they sink lower and lower into the couch cushions as _Chef’s Table_ plays on his TV.

Johnny’s starting to feel tingling in his fingers, as Mark takes a hit next to him. They’ve both mostly lost track of what’s happening on the screen, letting the orchestral background music wash over them. 

They’ve been deep in conversation, arguing about fucking sports, because Mark has it in his head he can convince Johnny that anything is better than baseball. Sure, Johnny _enjoys_ hockey, but Mark has clearly never been to a Cubs game. Johnny won’t stand for this slander when they’re barely a mile from Wrigley Field.

They come to a truce, Mark agreeing to let Johnny take him to a game one day to really see what he’s talking about, and instead lapse into an easy silence. Johnny feels warmth sluice through his body at the thought of taking Mark to a Cubs game. There’s something so perfectly domestic about sharing that with him. A whole day out with Mark — it’s the perfect date. Johnny can’t wait. He’s high enough his brain doesn’t even try to remind him that it won’t be a date at all.

Mark’s eyes flick to Johnny. He shifts a little on the couch until he’s fully facing Johnny and takes a breath.

“Y’know, I was like hella nervous about this move, since like, I obviously don’t know anyone here and I’m in a big, new city and all,” Mark starts, finding his words slowly, voice a little hoarse. “My parents were all like, worried about my safety and happiness and shit. But you’re like, easily the coolest neighbor I ever could’ve asked for dude, like. Wow.”

God, Mark is so earnest. How is everything Mark says so great. Johnny can’t wrap his brain around it. He’s looking up at Johnny, leaned ever so slightly onto him, arm resting on Johnny’s bicep

Fuck. Mark is cute. He’s so cute and Johnny wants to tell him but he knows that he wasn’t going to. And there was definitely a reason. But his head feels heavy and he just — can’t exactly remember _why_ he wasn’t going to. 

Everything is hazy and slow right now, the high finally setting in and making Johnny feel just a little floaty. Mark keeps giggling at everything Johnny says, even when he’s not being particularly funny, so Johnny knows the weed has kicked into Mark’s system as well. It’s nice. Mark’s face scrunches up when he giggles and all his teeth show and Johnny likes him so much.

Mark is just….looking at him now, cheeks tinged pink and lips just a little chapped. Johnny can’t stop staring at his eyes, feels like he’d be able to count constellations in them if he stared hard enough. His eyelashes are so dark and _so_ long; Johnny follows their path every time Mark blinks, fanning over his cheekbones. He feels like he’s in a daze, but he can’t figure out if it’s from the weed or from Mark’s sheer presence.

It feels like time is moving slowslowslow and Mark seems to be moving closer to him but that could just be Johnny imagina— 

Mark kisses him, suddenly, and Johnny’s brain jolts before everything fizzles into a soft hum. His body reacts before he can even process what’s happening, lips pressing lazily back against Mark. Back and back, until Mark’s back hits the couch cushions and Johnny is hovering over him. 

He’s still looking up at Johnny with those _fucking_ eyes, lips slightly parted. His tongue darts out to wet them, slowly, and Johnny tracks the movement. Johnny’s forearms are bracketing Mark’s head, face mere inches from Mark, before Mark fists his hands into Johnny’s shirt and tugs him back in. 

Johnny lets himself fall, mouth moving steadily against Mark’s, parting his lips so he can drag his tongue against the seam of Mark’s own. Mark opens for him, their tongues meeting lazily together, the weed slowing everything down to a heady push and pull.

Johnny feels like he could get lost in the feeling of Mark against him, his tongue flicking against the roof of his mouth, his teeth nipping sharply at Johnny’s bottom lip. Everything is warm, hazy, and Johnny has absolutely no idea how much time has passed making out with Mark, nor does he care. 

Mark keeps making these tiny little noises that Johnny eagerly swallows up, soft moans and whimpers into Johnny’s mouth. His hands trace lazy patterns on Johnny hips, inching under his shirt and sending tingles up Johnny’s body. 

Johnny’s eyes slipped shut a while ago, losing himself in the overwhelming feeling of _Mark_ , and he lets out a soft moan as one of Mark’s arms snakes around his waist to try and pull Johnny closer, pull his body further into his. Johnny sinks into his embrace, tangling one of his hands into Mark’s hair, fingers brushing through his soft strands as he does his best to completely ravish Mark’s mouth. His hips grind down without thinking, and Mark _gasps_ , fingers scratching through the thin fabric of his tee and digging into his skin.

“ _Johnny_ ,” Mark whines brokenly into Johnny’s mouth as Johnny does it again, a slow roll of his hips into Mark’s. He can feel the line of Mark’s erection through his jeans and his mind spins.

Johnny breaks their mouths, asking, “Mark, _fuck_ — can I —” stumbling over his words, tongue heavy in his mouth. Mark is nodding frantically before Johnny can even finish his sentence, eyes half-lidded and urging Johnny on by lifting his hips off the couch.

Johnny sits back on Mark’s thighs, so he can fumble for Mark’s zipper. His weed haze is making this a significantly harder task than it should be, Johnny getting frustrated when his fingers don’t listen to him.

“Fuck, I promise I’m usually way smoother than this,” Johnny mumbles out, as the button finally pops open and Johnny is able to tug both Mark’s jeans and his boxers down below his hips, exposing his cock, mostly hard already and resting against his hip bone.

“Oh wow. You’re so pretty,” Johnny says, brain to mouth filter completely broken right now. Mark blushes as he processes Johnny’s words. His lips are swollen and red, chest still heaving from their makeout session and pupils blown wide. He’s fucking _beautiful._ Johnny wishes he could take a picture. 

Johnny must pause for too long, because Mark’s now making grabby hands at Johnny, a slight pout on his face.

“You too,” he says — whines, more like, as Johnny remembers to undo his own jeans, cursing himself for wearing a belt today. Mark’s eyes drag along his body where his shirt is pulled tight across his chest, as Johnny shuffles his own jeans down his hips.

“You’re like, the hottest fucking person I’ve ever seen,” he says, almost awestruck, as Johnny falls back on top of him. His voice breaks off as Johnny drags his cock against Mark’s, feeling the smooth, hot slide of skin on skin.

“God, Mark, you have no idea,” Johnny grits out, spitting into his hand before snaking it between their bodies to grip both of their cocks in his palm. He licks back into Mark’s mouth, stroking them together.

Johnny feels every inch of Mark against him, cock heavy in his palm and dripping precome. He rubs over the heads on the upstroke with his palm, spreading the precome to help the friction. He’s big enough that Johnny’s hand just barely fits around both of them, and Johnny salivates at the idea of him in his mouth. 

That’s not going to be tonight, though, because Johnny is _really_ not going to last long. Usually, he’d try and drag this out, but he’s horny from the weed, horny from Mark, and really wants to fucking come. With the way Mark’s cock is twitching against his, and the noises he’s making, he seems to be in the same boat.

Johnny quickens the pace of his hand, twisting his wrist and biting a line up Mark’s jaw so he can bury his face in his neck. He licks over a spot behind Mark’s ear and Mark’s whole body _shakes_.

“Fuck — shit, Johnny I’m gonna come, please —” Mark chokes out, voice pitching higher. Johnny grips slightly tighter, dragging over the crown of Mark’s cock and thumbing over his slit. Mark’s hips jerk up into Johnny’s palm, and his dick pulses as he starts to come. He lets out a drawn out moan as Johnny strokes him through it, feeling the warmth of Mark’s cum drip down into his fist as he keeps their dicks gripped together, which is all it takes for him to follow Mark over the edge. 

There’s a roaring in Johnny’s ears as he comes down, his whole body feeling tingly and loose (he doesn’t know if that’s due to the weed or the incredible orgasm but he assumes it’s a combination of both). Mark is breathing heavy below him, sweat beading at his temples as Johnny does his best to roll over on his side next to Mark instead of on top of him.

Slowly, both of their breathing evens out and Mark cracks an eye open at Johnny.

“Uh,” Mark says, giggling, pupils still blown out, “can you like — get me a towel or something? I like, can’t really feel my body dude.” 

Johnny huffs out a laugh, nodding, before trying to maneuver himself over Mark and off the couch. 

Keyword: try.

He stumbles as he gets up, his limbs not yet fully functioning. He avoids crushing Mark entirely though, which he counts as a win. Both of Mark’s eyes are open now, tinged red, and lazily looking up and down Johnny. Johnny’s reminded that his dick is still out, and his hand is starting to feel tacky. He eyes it and — yeah. There’s a lot of come on it.

He grimaces, attempting to pull his boxers up with his clean hand as he hobbles over to the bathroom. He quickly rinses his hand off, grabbing a towel from behind the door and zipping his jeans back up as he makes his way back to where Mark is still lying on the couch.

Johnny squats down next to him trying to wipe down the half-dried come on Mark as gently as he can. Mark just squints down around him, pulling his own boxers and jeans back up when Johnny deems him good enough.

“Man that was uh, really...nice? I’m like— dude I’m like so hungry now though, please tell me you still have those bagel bites in your freezer from last time.” 

And Johnny just hums in response, head buzzing nicely, any thoughts of further conversation gone from his head at the mention of food. 

He figures they can just talk in the morning.

✶✶✶✶

He figures wrong.

After making the rest of the bagel bites Mark brought over last time, and making their way through the half full bag of chips Johnny found in his pantry, Mark passed out on his couch, Johnny throwing a blanket on him and brushing a hand through his hair before heading to his own bed. He fell asleep easily, thinking about maybe even getting to make Mark breakfast in the morning.

When he wakes up, sun shining through his blinds, Mark is nowhere to be found, blanket folded nicely on the cushions. Sunny’s already made herself comfortable on top of it, drooling in her sleep. Johnny is still disoriented from sleep, not yet able to parse the situation. 

On one hand, he and Mark hooked up, and Mark was the one who initiated it. On the other, Mark definitely left while Johnny was still passed out without a text or a note, so.

Johnny scrubs at his eyes. It’s too early for this.

He decides on texting Mark later (thinking maybe Mark might even text him before that), but when later comes, Mark doesn’t respond. 

Well. Shit. Johnny _knew_ he should’ve stopped any of this from happening and fucking up their entire relationship. But high-Johnny knows no bounds, and now he’s stuck being overly nervous to talk to Mark again.

✶✶✶✶

When Wednesday comes and Johnny _still_ hasn’t heard from Mark, well— He’s a little pissed, that’s for sure. He hadn’t expected Mark to be someone to hit it and quit it. Yet, even as frustrated as he is, he’s still one step away from knocking on Marks door and groveling for forgiveness at his knees (forgiveness for? Being horny? His crush? He’s not sure).

He’s getting his mail, their boss having let them off early as a reward for a big win that morning, when Mark steps into the hall. Johnny turns his head at the sound, and is met with Mark’s wide, scared eyes. _Great_ , he thinks. _Confirmation Mark’s trying to fucking run away, but still no idea why._

He’s obviously trapped, can’t run away now that Johnny’s seen him.

“Heyyy, Johnny,” Mark offers, waving uncomfortably at him and taking a few steps closer, clearly trying to get to his own mailbox. Johnny just raises a hand back, offering a short “hi” before they descend into silence, staring at each other.

“Look I—” Johnny starts, at the same time Mark blurts out, “Dude, I’m —”

They laugh, albeit awkwardly, and Mark gestures for Johnny to go on. He takes a deep breath, and just resigns himself to what he’s about to say. He’s been thinking about it for days now, and figures Mark clearly had a different idea of what Saturday was than Johnny did. Johnny’s decided that overall, he just wants to keep Mark _around_ , which means: biting back on any and all feelings to not freak Mark out anymore than he already is.

“Look, Mark, um — clearly Saturday...happened. And was weird, for y— for both of us, so I’m sorry I guess, about that, it probably shouldn’t have happened. It doesn’t have to mean anything, obviously — we were high, and I know I’m always extra horny when I’m high so it’s just a. Natural response, yeah?” Johnny says. He continues, before he can make his mouth shut the fuck up. “And like — it was really good, wouldn’t hate to do it again. You know. Bro stuff? Ha, uh, just like, chill stuff, doesn’t have to be anything more than that, we clearly um — work well together?”

Johnny cringes at everything that comes out of his mouth. _Bro stuff?_ What the _fuck_ does that _mean,_ Johnny? That was not what he was supposed to say. Actually, that was the exact opposite of what he was supposed to say, but there’s no way he can take back his words now.

Mark’s face — goes through a lot of different expressions Johnny can’t exactly place while he’s spewing fucking nonsense, before smoothing out into something neutral.

“Oh — yeah that’s um. That’s totally chill, thanks for bringing it up. Sorry I like, have kinda been MIA the past few days, just been like...busy. You know, with school and stuff. But it’s no problem. Bro stuff, I totally understand,” Mark gets out, eventually. There’s an edge to Mark’s voice, and Johnny wishes he could decipher it. 

They continue to stand there looking at each other. Johnny isn’t exactly sure what else to say. He starts rambling to fill the silence. “Yeah I just, you know, wanted to like. Make sure everything was cool and stuff with you. So i’m glad like...it is, yeah. Chill, I mean.” 

This entire convo fucking sucks, and all he wants is for Mark to come over and hang out on his couch again so they can watch the rest of _Chefs Table._ And maybe Mark can forget that the last time they were on said couch they hooked up. 

Fuck. 

“Anyway, if you wanted to come over Friday and chill again that would be — chill. Yeah.”

Johnny, internally, is punching himself in the face to shut the fuck up and _stop saying the word chill, holy shit_. Mark looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here and Johnny relates.

“Yeah man, um, I’ll let you know? I’m just. I gotta get back to my apartment now, you know, homework and stuff,” Mark shrugs, gesturing back towards the hallway he came from, before giving a weird salute to Johnny and scurrying off back to the elevator. 

He didn’t even get his mail.

Johnny bangs his forehead against the wall. He truly does not think that could’ve gone worse. He’s going to be lucky if Mark ever speaks to him again at this point and his heart gives a pathetic stutter in his chest before Johnny can collect himself, sighing and closing the door to his mailbox.

✶✶✶✶

Friday night finds Johnny depression eating directly out of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked, as Netflix plays on his TV and no Mark in sight. He expected it, obviously, especially after their disastrous conversation on Wednesday. But, he had already bought the ice cream at Mariano’s anyways, and he’s not going to let it go to waste in the back of his freezer.

Sunny’s taken up space on his lap, curled up on his thigh. _At least it’s company_ , Johnny thinks glumly to himself, petting down her back before spooning another bite on ice cream into his mouth. 

He’s just swallowing the spoonful when he hears a loud knock on the door, startling Sunny awake, digging her claws into Johnny’s thigh, which he pays no mind to. Johnny frowns, seeing as it’s 10:30 on a Friday night and everyone he knows is out (Yuta and Taeyong invited him out too, but he wasn’t feeling up to it). He puts the ice cream down on the coffee table, lifting an unhappy cat off his lap before making his way to the front door.

Johnny opens his door to Mark. He’s confused, to say the least, and he’s sure it shows on his face, eyebrows raised.

“Hey, man,” Johnny starts warily, opening his door a little wider. “Um, wasn’t expecting you, but I’m glad yo—” Mark interrupts Johnny before he can finish.

“Sorry, I should’ve texted first, instead of just showing up here, like you could’ve had someone over or something, but um, I was hoping that the invitation is still open. To like. Hang out. And chill. Like bros or whatever you said. Just — bro stuff.” Mark gets this all out in one breath, staring expectantly at Johnny, who probably looks like a deer in the headlights right now. Is Mark…?

“You’re welcome anytime,” Johnny says, dazed. “By bro stuff, you mean…”

“Dude, I just know I’ve been horny for days and also like, really want to suck you off,” Mark pauses, before adding on hurriedly, “I mean if you’re into it obviously! We can also just hang out and forget any of this ever happened!”

Johnny stops him before he can say anything else, blurting out, “No! No—I mean, yes, I’m totally down. To chill. And also the, uh, sucking off thing, that’d be cool too. With me.”

All the stress leaves Mark’s body as Johnny says this, a relieved smile blooming on his face. His eyes zero in on Johnny’s mouth, taking one step closer.

“Great. Good talk,” Mark gets out, before his hands grip into Johnny’s shirt, pushing him backwards into his apartment and slamming the door shut behind them.

✶✶✶✶

They fall into a weird friends-with-benefits kind of thing after that, although Johnny cringes calling it that to himself. But he’s not sure how else to describe it when he and Mark hook up a couple times a week, and the rest of the time Mark is casually hanging out on his couch eating all his food and basically adopting his cat. 

Because they aren’t dating. Johnny would know.

Mark might cuddle, but he never stays the night, always leaves Johnny’s bed (or couch) (or kitchen table, that one time) (or shower, that other, very failed, time) after they both clean themselves up.

Johnny decides to follow his lead the few times they end up in Mark’s apartment, but more often than not they're at Johnny’s. In fact, Mark is there so much he’s practically Johnny’s roommate at this point. The non-roommate whom he is fucking but definitely not dating. 

_Fuck_ , him and Yuta have more in common once again.

He and Mark don’t talk about it. Mark obviously wants to keep things casual, based off of how terribly everything went after they first hooked up. So, Mark wants to just be friends who fuck sometimes — Johnny can handle that. Totally. Absolutely. No problem whatsoever.

Taeyong’s harsh voice yanks Johnny from his thoughts. 

“You clearly cannot handle it,” Taeyong says bluntly. They’re back at their bar. It’s late October now, the air outside starting to turn chilly, which means the heat is cranked at the bar and Johnny regrets his choice of sweater.

“Yeah, you? Johnny Suh? In a friends with benefits arrangement? Why the fuck would this ever work, _especially_ knowing you already have feelings for the guy,” Yuta adds in, taking a long drink from his beer.

“Look it’s not like— an _arrangement_.” _Can’t really be an arrangement when you don’t talk about it_ , Johnny thinks to himself. “We just, you know, hook up sometimes. Let off some steam or whatever. It’s going fine, I’ll be fine. Plus we’re like, definitely friends now so I have that to fall back on, at least.”

Taeyong and Yuta just stare at him. Johnny avoids their eye contact, picking at his beer label instead.

“Johnny. What the fuck. That’s so fucking sad. Please just tell Mark your feelings before you actually hurt yourself in this situation,” Taeyong says, concern evident in his eyes. Johnny fidgets in his chair as Taeyong attempts to hold his hand over the table.

That’s the thing about Taeyong. He says what’s on his mind, but Johnny knows— if anyone has his back, it’s absolutely Taeyong. Johnny is almost never ready for the truths Taeyong throws at him, but he does it with love. And a lot of hand-holding.

“Guys, for real, I’ll be okay. It’s really no big deal, I’m _fine_ ,” Johnny emphasizes. 

His phone buzzes on the table next to him, making a complete liar out of him. Johnny takes a quick look, before turning back to his friends, Yuta raising an eyebrow at him.

“And who was that, Johnny?” 

“...Mark,” Johnny mumbles, wincing. Yuta rolls his eyes as Taeyong runs a hand down his face, and tries to wrap his whole body around Johnny’s for comfort. They both seem to realize he’s done talking about it and drop the subject, for now at least. Johnny’s sure they will bring it back up later.

✶✶✶✶

He reassures himself he wasn’t lying to Taeyong and Yuta when he said he was fine. He really _is_ fine. He and Mark are back to seeing each other all the time, back to Mark keeping him company on his nights off of school, back to…..

Johnny and Mark trying to see who can make the other come the fastest.

“Oh, _fuck_ , Mark, shit I’m gonna—” Johnny babbles, hands gripped tightly in Marks hair as he takes his cock all the way down to the base again. 

His stomach coils tightly, and he lets out a low groan, his release hitting him in waves. Mark swallows it all down, like he always does, popping off his cock to lick at his lips, shiny with saliva.

“Wow,” Johnny breathes, coming down from his high. “Okay, Mark Lee, I think you win this time. But I’ll get you next.”

Mark beams at him, a smug smile on his face, before patting Johnny’s hip and lifting himself off of his knees, groaning as he stretches his legs out. He finds his own boxers somewhere on the floor, pulling them on, before grabbing the glass of water he left on the coffee table and chugging down half of it.

Johnny gives himself a little shake before pulling his own underwear back up his legs from where they’re bunched at his ankles. His eyes are closed as he relaxes back into the couch, not bothering with jeans as Mark finds his own on the floor.

He cracks an eye open, watching Mark fidget where he’s standing for a least twenty seconds before he looks at Johnny.

“Oh, by the way dude, I’m going back home for winter break next week, I don’t remember if I told you.” Mark looks down to fasten the button of his jeans, then pauses. “Um, so I’m going to be gone ‘til like. After New Years.”

Johnny blinks. Oh.

“That’s awesome dude, I’m sure it’ll be nice to be back with your family and your friends for a while,” he says, collecting himself. He gives Mark what he hopes is a reassuring smile as Sunny jumps onto the couch from where she’s been hiding in Johnny’s room. Mark notices her, crouching down to rub behind her ear. “I think Sunny might miss you though, man, I’m not enough for her anymore.”

Mark blushes, Sunny nosing against his wrist when he hand stalls, trying to get him to pet her again. “Dude, you better send me so many pictures of her, I mean it. I want endless Sunny updates.” He looks up at Johnny with his fucking _eyes_ , like Johnny could ever deny him anything at this point.

“Deal. Endless Sunny updates, coming right up.” Mark beams before resuming giving Sunny all of his attention. Johnny never really thought he’d be jealous of his own cat, but here he is, wishing Mark would — scratch him behind the ear? 

Okay maybe not that, but as he watches them together fondly, his heart bangs in his chest, and he allows himself his one moment of longing before squashing that back down and packing it back up.

Johnny gets up without bothering to put his jeans back on and asks Mark if he wants another beer. Back to regularly scheduled programming.

✶✶✶✶

It’s weird after Mark leaves for Vancouver. Johnny’s gotten so used to his endless presence over the past couple months that his apartment definitely feels emptier. 

So, he’s taken to texting Mark. 

All the time.

Granted, it’s not just him — Mark texts just as much. Random things, like complaining about the weather, his mom not leaving him alone, his best friends being more annoyingly into each other than even before. Johnny performs his duty of sending Mark daily Sunny updates.

 **Johnny [1:42 pm]**  
[video attached]  
Here she is. A lion in the wild. Staking out her prey….the string of the blanket

 **Mark [1:45 pm]**  
the blanket should be terrified bro  
a whole 9 pounds of vicious animal   
lol  
pls give her pets for me 🥺

 **Johnny [1:46 pm]**   
You’re going to spoil her you know

 **Mark [1:46 pm]**  
uhh yea that’ the POINT johnny, she deserves 2 be spoiled  
like   
have u seen her??

 **Johnny [1:48 pm]**  
[img attached]  
Yeah, i can say pretty confidently that i have in fact seen her 

**Mark [1:50 pm]**  
😭  
brb dude, goin 2 lunch with my mom. text u later!! :)

Johnny drops his phone to the couch, staring up at the ceiling as Sunny meows at him from where she’s perched high on his chest. He smiles to himself.

 _Fuck_.

✶✶✶✶

 **Mark [11:03]**  
dude help idk what to get my mom for xmas  
johnny pls  
johnnyyyyyy plssssssss i’m desperate what do i do

 **Johnny [11:07]**  
Mark. It’s dec 23rd. How do you not have a gift for your mom yet  
Also how would i know what to get your mom!!! You’re her son!

 **Mark [11:07]**  
I DIDN’T MEAN TO LEAVE IT SO LAST MINUTE FML  
i just  
idk suddenly it was today and i realized xmas was in 2 days  
i’m so fucked just kill me now

 **Johnny [11:09]**  
Lol please chill  
It’ll be ok i’m sure she’s not looking for much, you are literally in school without a job  
Didn’t you write that piece about her for your class last quarter?  
You should like, frame that or something. From what you’ve told me, I bet she’d love it

 **Mark [11:11]**  
fuck  
johnny ur a genius ur incredible what would i do without u  
ok i gotta go do that THANK U!!!! ❤️

“Johnny, who are you talking to?” his mom asks him, sitting kitty-corner from him at the kitchen table. Johnny whips his head up from where he’s smiling disgustingly at his phone, schooling his features.

“Oh, just my neighbor, I told you about him I think?” Johnny says, pocketing his phone now that Mark’s going to be out for a bit.

“Hmm. Just your neighbor?” Johnny’s mom raises an eyebrow at him. “Haven’t seen you smile that wide in a while, honey.”

Johnny flushes, trying to think of what to say that isn’t “actually I’m super fucking into him, oh and also we’re hooking up multiple times a week”.

He may be close with his mom, but not like _that._

“It’s...complicated. But he’s a good friend. _Just_ a friend, mom,” Johnny emphasizes.

“Mmm. Whatever you say Johnny. You know what I always say, better to be honest with yourself earlier rather than later,” she tsks. “Hopefully I’ll get to meet him soon, even if he is ‘just your friend.’ Invite him by next time I’m in the city. Anyway! Where is your father, I sent him to Hmart 2 hours ago...”

His mom trails off as she gets up, leaving Johnny alone at the table. He goes back to his phone and thumbs opens his conversation with Mark.

 **Johnny [11:19]**  
Btw my mom says she wants to meet my ~elusive neighbor  
I’m sure she’ll cook you dinner, too, while she’s at it.

 **Mark [11:20]**  
o word, yeah?  
a real dinner by mama suh?? fuck yea dude, im sooo down

 **Johnny [11:22]**  
First you steal my cat, now you’re trying to steal my mom.  
Smh mark, smh, I see what you’re doing  
;) 

✶✶✶✶

 **Mark [2:11]**  
johnnnnnynyyyynyyy  
lmao johnny im sso drnk  
fcuk  
hyu ck gve me liike sooooO manyu sho tss  
i msis u

Johnny scrubs at his eyes, blinking them clear as he reads the messages from Mark. He checks the time. 2:13 here, which makes it just after midnight in Vancouver. Yuta and Taeyong are strewn about Johnny’s couch, all of them passing out around 1 after consuming an excessive amount of alcohol.

They used to go out every New Years Eve, but decided last year that it was infinitely more fun to just get wasted in their own apartments. Especially as they can avoid paying the absurd NYE packages in Chicago _and_ have the added bonus of getting to spend the whole night in sweatpants.

He escapes the couch as quietly as he can, turning the TV off on the way back to his bedroom. Sunny’s asleep on his extra pillow, stretching out when she hears him come into the room. He strips off his sweats, rolling himself into bed and under his comforter. He plugs his phone into the charger before going back to his WhatsApp thread with Mark.

 **Mark [2:27]**  
d o u misss me  
i wsh i waas pteting sunny rn  
its sooioo h ot in heere  
johnnyyyy  
wsh i culd suck ur dck 2

Johnny blinks, reading through Marks almost unintelligible texts. Did Mark just say he missed him? _Him_ and not just Sunny? He rolls over onto his side, curling his body in.

He can’t deal with the last text from Mark right now. He’s barely even jerked off since Mark’s been gone. It hasn’t been the same when it’s his own hand and not Mark’s. Or Mark’s mouth. Or just. Mark’s presence, in general.

Before he can think about drafting a reply, his phone buzzes multiple times in a row.

 **Mark [2:30]**  
hi johnny this is donghyuck  
he’s fucking gone, so we’re taking him home right now!!  
goodnight!!  
disregard anything Mark said tonight!  
💖

Well.

That’ll be that then. He’s not sure if he’s disappointed or relieved.

 **Johnny [2:33]**  
Thanks for letting me know man.  
Please get home safely!

✶✶✶✶

Johnny’s been awake for a few hours the next morning, before he hears from Mark again. Yuta and Taeyong already dipped, after ordering a cheap, greasy breakfast at Johnny’s local diners and using that to soothe their pounding hangovers. He’s been back in bed, mindlessly scrolling through social media, when his phone buzzes in his hands.

 **Mark [11:02]**  
oh my god dude i’m so sorry  
i have no idea what was in the shots Hyuckie was getting me  
fuck, im so fucking hungover.  
i don’t even rmbr getting home, god

 **Johnny [11:05]**  
Lol, Mark no worries  
Go drink some water  
I’m glad you Donghyuck got you back okay!

Johnny pauses, pulling the covers down on his torso, the soft light streaming in from the window hitting him at all his good angles. He positions his camera over him, snapping a few quick shots of his naked chest, the band of his underwear sneaking in at the bottom, before picking the best one and sending it off to Mark.

It’s payback.

 **Johnny [11:08]**  
[image attached]  
Soooo, you said something about wanting to suck my dick?

 **Mark [11:09]**  
fuuuuuuuck dude you can’t just spring that on me this early in the morning

Johnny smirks, settling himself into bed and pushing his hand into his boxers.

✶✶✶✶

Mark comes back on a Saturday morning, and is back in Johnny’s bed by Sunday night.

“Fuck, Mark, you’re so _tight,_ ” Johnny groans, gripping his hands around Mark’s waist as he slowly enters him.

“ _Yeah_ , fuck, I barely fingered myself on break, wasn’t the same,” Mark grits out, slowly relaxing around him as Johnny bottoms out, his thighs bracketing Johnny’s hips. His eyes shut, as Johnny lets him adjust to his length. 

Mark clenches, barely, before rolling his hips _just_ so, Johnny’s fingernails digging into his skin and leaving crescent shaped indents in their wake. Mark bites his lip, opening his eyes to look half-lidded at johnny.

“God, you feel so good,” Mark sighs out, Johnny pulling his cock out halfway before fucking it back. “ _Fuuuck_ , I missed this so much.”

Johnny’s brain fizzles out as Mark clenches around him, digging his knees into the mattress and gripping his hands tight where they’re locked around around Mark’s waist. Johnny thrusts hard into Mark, rattling his headboard. Mark _squeaks_ , breaking off into a drawn out moan, which Johnny takes as the go-ahead, setting a steady pace as Mark falls more and more apart.

Usually he lets Mark be a little more in control, but it’s been _six fucking weeks_ , and Johnny is a weak, weak man. All he wants to do is lose himself inside Mark, feel Mark come undone as Johnny’s buried inside him.

Mark throws his head back as Johnny thrusts into him, his fingers scratching red lines down Johnny’s chest. Beads of sweat form on Johnny’s hairline, the heat of the bedroom almost stifling. The air between them is hot, their skin sticking together whenever Johnny pulls Mark in, his ass meeting his hips

“Shit — hhng — I’m not going to fucking last,” Mark moans, squeezing his eyes shut as he bears down on Johnny’s cock, Johnny slowing to a slow, deep, grind.

“Yeah? Y’gonna come for me, Markie?” Johnny grits out, angling Mark’s body slightly differently, so he can graze directly against his prostate. Mark _whines_ , high in his throat, and it’s music to Johnny’s ears.

“Ohmygod,” Mark says, gasping, hands scrambling against Johnny to grip at his arms. He tightens, and Johnny’s cock twitches inside Mark. Johnny releases one of his hands from around Mark’s waist to grip in his hair, pulling himself down to finally join their lips together. Mark opens his mouth instantly, kissing sloppily, spit slick and wet.

He starts up a steady pace again, slower than before but deeper, cock filling Mark more on each thrust. Johnny can feel his orgasm swimming in his belly, and he wills himself to hold out until Mark comes first.

Breaking their mouths apart, Johnny moves towards Mark’s ear, biting his lobe and flicking his tongue against his singular piercing. Mark fully shudders against him, his dick jumping against his stomach, leaking sticky precome that’s collecting on Johnny’s navel.

“Come on Mark, you can do it, just come for me,” Johnny murmurs, directly against the shell of his ear. Mark’s whole body tenses, arching his chest and he’s coming, biting hard at Johnny’s shoulder to muffle his whines.

Johnny gently pets Marks hair away from his face, fucking him through it. He feels a Mark’s teeth nip at his skin, before he’s mumbling out, “You too, come on, fuck, keep going.”

And, well, who is Johnny to deny Mark anything?

His hand slides down to grab Marks ass, digging into the flesh and fucking his cock back in to chase his own release. Not long after, he follows Mark down, feeling his orgasm break inside him as he comes, fucking back into Mark a few times as it rolls through him.

Johnny’s body goes limp, letting himself fall on top of Mark. His dick twitches in overstimulation as Mark experimentally clenches around him.

“Huh. Ever think you could go twice?” Mark asks, pushing his hips back. Johnny just groans, dick oversensitive and sore, even as his horny brain ties to tell him _yes, absolutely, whatever you want_.

“If that’s ever gonna happen, I need warning first, okay?” Johnny groans out, finally pulling his now soft cock out Mark, and laying back on the mattress next to him. “But, yes, probably, with enough encouragement.”

Mark grins at him, before his face scrunches.

“Fuuuck, dude. You really got me good,” Mark says, slipping two fingers back inside himself. “Shit, I’m so wet.”

Johnny squeezes his eyes shut, thinking about his own come currently filling Mark’s ass, his own come that Mark’s currently plugging up inside him with his fingers. When they first started this _thing_ and Mark begged for Johnny to come inside, citing he was clean, please, _please_ , Johnny, Johnny knew he was a fucking goner. 

Mark eventually pulls his fingers out of his ass, whether it’s seconds or hours later, Johnny doesn’t even know at this point. He sighs, sitting up on Johnny’s thighs.

“That was — so good, shit,” Mark sighs. “God I missed that so much —“ Johnny’s heart pounds weakly in his chest as Mark carries on, “but shit I really need to shower, haha.”

Johnny lets out a soft laugh, his hand patting the side of Mark’s thighs.

“Go fucking shower, I can clean up here.” Mark gets up from next to Johnny, stumbling onto the floor. He gives Johnny a thumbs up, before heading to the bathroom to wash up.

Johnny let’s himself bask in the afterglow for another minute, before forcing himself up off of his bed as well, feeling the come drying uncomfortably on his skin.

 _Fuck_. Johnny missed Mark, but it was made ever so evident just _how much_ he missed Mark once he had him back in his hands. Not just the sex, but…simply _being_ in Mark’s presence.

He takes him time wiping himself off with a wet towel from the kitchen, since Mark’s taking over his bathroom, then slips back into his sweats without bothering with underwear. He rights his bed sheets, throwing his comforter back on, grabbing his phone from the nightstand and laying back down to scroll through his phone while he waits for Mark to be done.

He hears the shower stop eventually, hears the sounds of Mark collecting himself in his bathroom. Mark pads back into the bedroom, clothes back on and hair damp. 

“Dude, that was great, um— thank you?” Mark says, laughing awkwardly, correcting himself. “I mean — not thank you, but like, dang. I really needed that.”

Mark’s just standing at the foot of the bed, looking like he looks, and Johnny’s about to lay down everything he owns for this boy. Instead, he swallows and goes, “So, Ten is having his annual New Years party? Did you wanna come out with us? It’s next weekend, thought it would be cool if you wanted to finally meet all my friends.”

Mark’s face breaks out into an excited smile. 

“Oh yeah? For sure!! That sounds so dope, I’m super down!” Mark says, enthusiastically.

“Awesome, I’ll let them know you’re coming and let you know whenever there’s more of a plan for the night? Fair warning — Ten tends to go all out for his quote unquote ‘New Years’ parties, so I can’t exactly tell you what to expect other than he _will_ try to get you fucking trashed, and you _will_ end up spending more money than you planned on.” 

“Haha that honestly sounds great, I’ve wanted to meet your friends anyway!” It’s at this moment Sunny finally breaches the bedroom again, knowing full well to stay away when the door is closed. She jumps on the bed, eyeing Mark as he rolls his eyes but goes to pet her anyway.

“Just uh, text me the deets?” Mark says, distracted by Sunny. “I should get going, I still have so much to unpack and get done before I’m back to class tomorrow, but yeah, just let me know what’s up!”

Johnny nods in agreement, Mark flashing him another smile and giving Sunny one last pet down her back, before turning around and leaving Johnny’s bedroom. Johnny watches him go, only staring at his ass a _little_ as he leaves. He hears the front door open and close, before turning into his pillow and groaning.

Sunny walks up his chest to meow directly in his face, and yeah, that’s about his entire mood right now.

✶✶✶✶

Every January since they’ve graduated, Ten forces them all out in the frigid January weather to spend way too much money and drink way too much alcohol. Ten likes to call it his “Fuck New Years” party. He always starts them at some overpriced and loud club before finding the first packed bar he can and getting everyone absolutely shitfaced.

(Johnny remembers all too well one of his parties a few years ago and waking up alone in his room the next morning with nothing but a pair of cat ears on and no recollection of how he got there.)

They’ve already gone and left Joy District, Johnny stumbling into the freezing January night right as it’s starting to snow, thankful for how it immediately cools down his sweaty body. Mark’s giggling with Jaehyun to his right; the two of them had hit it off immediately.

Johnny feels arms wrap around his body, immediately knowing it’s Ten by how he plasters himself to his side, pulling Johnny’s arm around his shoulders.

“Johnny~” Ten sings out, voice already starting to slur from the shots they took at the club. His loose shirt billows in the wind (Ten never wears a fucking coat), and he shivers as they make their way to the next bar. “Mark’s cute. You fucking him?”

Johnny flushes immediately, but still draws Ten in close, sharing his warmth so Ten doesn’t freeze to death. He and Ten have been friends since middle school; Ten went off to New York for college but came back to Chicago after he graduated. He’s usually one of the first people Johnny tells about, well, anything, but he’s been hesitant about Mark. He’s not exactly _sure_ why he’s been hesitant. Ten always knows him better than he knows himself, and maybe that’s what makes him nervous about finally coming clean about Mark.

“We’re...it’s complicated,” Johnny ends up saying, avoiding Ten’s gaze as he raises a judging eyebrow in his direction.

“Complicated like you aren’t fucking yet, or complicated like you won’t talk about your probably repressed feelings and you _are_ fucking?” Ten asks him, seeing through him immediately. Johnny chews on his bottom lip, the alcohol coursing through his veins making it hard to parse through exactly what he wants to say in response.

“Um. It’s not the second one, but it’s also not... _not_ the second one.” Johnny feels Ten pinch his side, flinching at the sharp pain. “Hey! Look — I’m...working on it okay. I’m _fine_ , god, you, Yuta, and Taeyong should form a club or something.”

“Oh, we don’t need that, we have a group chat,” Ten says casually. “Just — figure this out okay, you should see how he looks at you.”

Johnny doesn’t have time to ask further about whatever the fuck this group chat they have is, or however the fuck Mark looks at him, because they’re already at their chosen bar, Ten removing himself from Johnny’s body so they can both fish their IDs out of their pockets.

The bar is packed when they walk in, the wave of heat hitting Johnny as he maneuvers through the crowd of sweaty bodies. Their group manages to find a corner to congregate in, even managing to nab a standing table. Most everyone dissipates, some heading upstairs, others going to the bar to get more drinks.

Johnny stays back, holding off on getting any more drinks, feeling tipsy enough already. His body is loose, head sufficiently fuzzy. He has no plans on blacking out tonight, since he wants to make sure Mark’s good and they both get back okay.

Mark slides up next to him, forgoing getting anything else to drink too. He stayed shot for shot and drink for drink with Johnny at the last bar, and his face is flushed, shirt _definitely_ more unbuttoned than it was when they left their apartment building. Knowing his friends, that’s probably Taeyong’s doing.

He leans on the table, turning his body to face towards Johnny instead of staring out at the crowd of people in the bar.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Mark giggles, resting his chin on his palm.

“Oh yes, what a surprise, Mark Lee,” Johnny jokes back, taking a step closer to hear better over the music blaring from the speakers. “Having a good time then, hm?”

“Hell yeah dude, your friends are awesome, like, _so_ dope,” Mark says. “Plus, Taeyong kept buying me shots. He’s so great.” Mark sounds so dreamy when he says this, Johnny’s a little jealous. Maybe _he_ should’ve bought Mark more shots...

He’s distracted, and he doesn’t notice Mark move closer to him until it’s too late. Johnny feels a hand directly on his crotch and flinches. His dick, the traitor, gives a twitch of interest.

“ _Mark,”_ Johnny hisses, grabbing Mark’s arm, “what do you think you’re doing?”

Mark just blinks up at him, face still flushed but eyes suddenly innocent. He angles his body more, effectively blocking them both from the crowd of people in the bar. “Not sure exactly what you’re talking about, Johnny,” he says, as his hand squeezes and Johnny’s hips involuntarily buck up.

Johnny glances around the bar. They’re tucked into a back corner, and it’s dark, the crowd of people paying them no attention back here. He can spot Jaehyun and Yuta at the bar trying to get the bartender’s attention, Yuta’s hand definitely on Jaehyun’s ass, and Ten is god knows where; the rest of his friends have disappeared. Mark’s hand hasn’t let up, fingers dancing along his length, and Johnny feels himself hardening through his jeans. _Fuck._

He has a split second to make up his mind. Johnny knows Mark wouldn’t care if he just removed his hand, would respect his boundaries, but also — Johnny’s horny brain is going haywire and his mind is racing with the idea of Mark’s hand on his dick in a crowded bar, with limited cover, with all these strangers around them having no idea what’s happening. So.

Johnny makes up his mind.

He looks at Mark and sighs, running a hand through his hair but relaxing into Mark’s touch. Mark’s face splits into a sharp grin, as the pressure increases on his dick and Johnny tries not to fucking moan.

His fingers grip the table in front of him, as he schooling his face into one of complete relaxation and _chill_ and definitely not of someone who’s getting felt up in the back of a bar. Johnny wants so badly to grind into Mark’s hand, but he restrains himself and stands as still as possible as Mark wreaks havoc on his dick.

He’s fully hard now, the line of his cock pressing against the inside seam of his jeans as he fills out. It’s uncomfortable, but not painful; Mark keeping a steady pressure, the palm of his hand pressing hard against the head where it sits on his thigh.

He’s also been keeping up steady commentary, talking about something Yuta was telling him back at the club, but Johnny can barely focus on what he’s saying.

“—and then he — are you even listening, Johnny?” Mark’s hand stalls on his dick, kicking Johnny back to the present, eyes focusing on where Mark is smirking at him, lip quirked as he tries not to giggle.

“I’m — yeah, totally, I’m definitely listening,” Johnny’s voice strains. Mark’s eyes sparkle even in the dim lighting, and it’s all Johnny can focus on, all the background noise at the bar fizzling out into a low hum in his brain. He grinds the palm of his hand down again, and Johnny’s knees almost buckle. 

Johnny watches Mark’s focus draw down underneath the table, where he assumes he can barely make out the bulge through Johnny’s black jeans. Johnny’s dick twitches, barely, through his pants against Mark’s hand and Mark bites his lip, staring.

“Fuck,” Mark let’s out, voice barely above a whisper but it’s as loud as anything to Johnny’s ears. 

Johnny knows he’s about to make a stupid decision, knows he’s doing something that sober Johnny is going to _really_ regret when he wakes up in the morning, but nevertheless, he finds himself grabbing Mark’s wrist. Mark pulls his hand back immediately, looking up with worry to Johnny’s face, but Johnny just shakes his head, pulling Mark to follow him as they leave their corner.

He’s been to this bar enough times that he makes a direct beeline upstairs, where there’s a slightly hidden bathroom on the second floor that’s only one stall and definitely has a lock on the door. Mark just follows behind him, skin hot under Johnny’s palm. 

No one bats an eye at them, or even notices as Johnny brings Mark into the empty hallway, eyes darting around before he pulls Mark into the bathroom, locking the door behind them.

Immediately, he’s pressing Mark against the door and capturing his mouth. Mark’s hands scramble in Johnny’s shirt, gripping the fabric as he _moans_ , licking against the seam of Johnny’s lips to gain access to his mouth. Their tongues tangle together, Johnny pushing Mark harder against the door, bringing their bodies as close as he can.

Mark breaks their mouths apart to trail down Johnny’s neck, tongue flicking against his Adam's apple and nipping at the skin. Johnny tilts his head back, granting Mark better access as he makes his way down to Johnny’s collarbones, licking the sweat that’s beading there.

Johnny’s hands grip at Mark’s ass, hands kneading it through his jeans, massaging into the flesh, pulling their hips together.

“Fuck, _Mark_ , shit, wanna fuck you so _badly_ ,” Johnny groans out, as Mark’s teeth sink into Johnny’s shoulder.

“I — fuck, I didn’t bring any lube,” Mark grits out, brow furrowing. Johnny just chuckles, low in his throat.

“I mean — me neither dude, didn’t exactly expect you to feel me up under a table but here we are.”

Mark glares up at Johnny. “It’s not _my_ fault you look so fucking good tonight. Blame yourself, and also Ten for giving me tequila.” His hands trail down Johnny’s back. “Just like — I don’t know, rub yourself off against my ass or something, that’d be hot.”

Johnny bites his lip, giving Marks ass another squeeze. “I — yeah. Yeah I can work with that.”

He moves his hands up to grab Mark’s waist, flipping him around so that his chest is against the door, and pulling his hips back a little bit. Johnny reaches around to unbutton Mark’s jeans, pulling the zipper down so that he can tug both his jeans and underwear to his knees.

“Is it weird that like, doing this in the bathroom is really turning me on?” Mark says, craning his neck back to look at Johnny through half lidded eyes. Johnny gives Mark a slap on the ass, before nosing at his hairline and licking behind his ear.

“Sounds like someones a little bit of an exhibitionist, hm? Want everyone in the bar to hear you? Want them all to know you’re going to be walking out with my come on your skin?” Johnny _feels_ the shiver run through Mark, before dragging a finger down his ass, brushing against his hole.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Mark breathes out. Johnny smiles into his neck, rubbing softly against Mark’s rim but not breaching. Mark whines, pressing his ass back.

“We don’t have lube, so we’re going to need to make do,” Johnny murmurs, before dropping to his knees and licking a line against Mark’s entrance, wetting the skin. Mark’s legs shake, Johnny gripping his thighs with his hands to hold him steady as he collects saliva in his mouth and _spits_ , spreading it with his fingers.

Mark’s whimper is sinful.

“There, that should do it for now.” Johnny gets back up off his knees, quickly undoing his own jeans and pushing them down, finally freeing his cock. He’s so hard, erection not flagging since Mark had felt him up under the table. It’s flushed an angry red, swollen where it bounces up to hit against his hip.

“You good, Markie?” Johnny asks, fitting his dick in between the globes of Mark’s ass and trying not to sigh from how fucking _good_ it feels already.

“Fuck, yes, fucking fuck just get on with it,” Mark whines, pressing his hips back against Johnny. Johnny grinds forward, his dick sliding directly against Mark’s hole, catching briefly on it. One of Johnny’s hands grips Mark’s waist, the other wrapping completely around his wrist where it’s holding him up against the bathroom door. He feels like a fucking teenager humping against Mark’s ass in a bar that’s far too nice for them to even think of doing something like this here, but shit if it doesn’t feel good.

Sweat drips down and precome beads off Johnny’s dick, helping the slide even as Johnny’s spit dries up. Johnny snakes his hand around Mark’s waist to grip at his cock, already hard and leaking against his stomach.

“Gonna have to come quick, Markie, don’t want everyone to know what we’ve been doing in here,” Johnny says into Mark’s ear. The alcohol is making him bold, making him more talkative than usual, and Mark is eating it up. “What would my friends do if they knew we were in here like this, if they knew how badly I want to fuck you up against this door, fill you up so much that you have to go back home with my come dripping out of you the whole time?”

The noise Mark lets out sounds un _hinged_ , fingernails scratching against the wood of the door as he sobs, cock jumping in Johnny’s hands. Johnny speeds up, as Mark tightens his thighs around him, jutting his ass further back into Johnny’s hold. He feels his balls draw in tight, knowing he’s not going to last that much longer, especially with how much Mark worked him up before this. He squeezes Mark’s cock, jerking his hand faster and thumbing at Mark’s slit.

“Fuck, _shit_ , I’m —” Johnny groans out, hand releasing Mark’s wrist so that he can grab his own cock, leaning back and stroking it twice before he’s releasing over Mark’s ass, come painting stripes into his skin.

“ _Johnny_ ,” Mark whines, forehead falling against the door. Johnny lets his orgasm wash through him, pumping himself a few more times before palming at Mark’s ass, spreading his come into his skin as his other hand speeds up the pace on Mark’s dick. He presses his chest back against Mark’s body, using his come covered fingers to press against Mark’s hole, a steady pressure. It doesn’t take much longer before Mark’s pulsing in Johnny’s palm, his come splattering against the door as Mark melts back into Johnny’s body.

“Holy shit,” Mark breathes out, before dissolving into a fit of giggles. “ _Shit_ , oh my god I can’t believe we did that!”

“Yeah. Fuck, dude,” Johnny says, taking a sharp inhale where he’s still buried in Mark’s neck, giving himself another second before forcing himself to put some distance in between their bodies. “Uh...we should probably get cleaned up.”

He makes his way over to the sink, turning the water on so he can rinse off the come that’s starting to dry on his hand, as Mark leans, boneless, back against the door, watching him with lazy eyes. Johnny dries his hands, grabbing a bunch of paper towels and wetting them, haphazardly wiping himself off enough that he can at least pull his pants up and then going to help Mark clean up.

“Uhh — make sure you clean the door off, haha,” Mark says, when Johnny hands him a pile of damp towels in his hand. He shuffles his body to the side so that Johnny can see the dried come that dripped down the wood.

“Christ,” Johnny laughs, “you really got it good.” 

Mark weakly slaps at his arm as he cleans himself up and Johnny does his best to wipe away any trace of what they did from the bathroom stall. They make themselves as presentable as possible, still tipsy and light, laughing every time they get a good look at each other, hair a mess and lips completely fucked.

“Everyone’s going to know what we did, aren’t they?” Mark asks, but the way he’s giggling into Johnny’s shoulder makes it sound like less of a question and more a statement of pride. Luckily for Johnny, who actually has to see the rest of these morons on a regular basis, they run into no one else as they leave the bathroom as discreetly as possible.

“I want to say no, but — yeah, they totally are. I’ll buy you a drink to make it up to you,” Johnny says back, him and Mark melting back into the crowd to find their friends.

✶✶✶✶

When they get back, Yuta and Taeyong give them extremely unsubtle eyebrow wags that Johnny ignores and Mark laughs nervously at, but the rest of the night goes by in a blur. Johnny remembers buying him and Mark a few more drinks, and at some point they change bars, but his memory gets fuzzy around the edges.

He wakes up Sunday, with a pounding headache, Sunny purring on his chest, and a text from Ten going, _So that’s what complicated means._

Johnny groans, throwing his phone back against the pillow and squeezing his eyes shut to try and sleep away all bad decisions he’s making with his life.

✶✶✶✶

Johnny’s been replaying the night at the bar and what Ten had said to him all week. Especially since every day now is simply an endless monotony of _Mark, Mark, Mark._

If he’s not hanging out with Mark, he’s texting Mark. If he’s not texting Mark, he’s thinking about Mark. Suddenly, Mark has taken up all of his time and Johnny feels like he’s going crazy.

This doesn’t exactly feel like “just friends hooking up” anymore, no matter how hard Johnny’s tried to convince himself it is.

He’s been sending endless messages to Taeyong and Yuta, who he’s surprised haven’t blocked his number already. And Ten hasn’t stopped trying to text him about it since the bar. They keep telling him to just fucking _tell_ Mark already, that there’s no way he doesn’t feel the same, but Johnny remembers how Mark acted after they first hooked up on his couch, how Mark avoided him for over a week before Johnny could fix it, and he doesn’t want that to happen again. 

Feelings — and there are so many goddamn feelings — for Mark aside, he’s also become one of Johnny’s closest friends and he can’t lose that. But, it’s hard, letting Mark go at night, when all Johnny wants to do is hold him close and wake up next to him in the morning. So he’s conflicted, to say the least.

On one hand: confess, Mark accepts, they live happily ever after, get married and buy a walk up together in Wicker Park, adopting three more cats for Sunny to play with.

On the other: confess, Mark freaks the fuck out and never talks to Johnny again. Johnny cries and gets his heart broken and then cries some more. (He doesn’t think Mark would really just ice him out like this but his rational brain really went away about two weeks into this arrangement.)

Or: Johnny says nothing and gets to stay best friends with Mark, gets to at least pretend like they’re in love whenever they fuck and only gets his heart _slightly_ broken every time Mark leaves.

Neither of the last two situations sound exactly ideal, which is why Johnny is so stuck. Plus, Mark has been MIA since this morning, not even responding to the very funny meme that Johnny sent him earlier that he knew Mark would love.

He’s deep in thought about this on Friday as he’s coming home from his night with Taeyong and Yuta, that he doesn’t even notice there’s anyone else in the hallway as he steps out of the stairwell. At least, until he hears a melodic, high pitched voice whine out, “Maaaaaark, won’t you sleep with me tonight? Pleeeeeease? Your bed’s big enough for us both.”

Johnny whips his head up at the sound of Mark’s name, stopping in his tracks. Just ahead of him, he sees Mark at his door and the back of some boy with honey-brown hair completely hanging off of him, head buried in his neck. Johnny barely gets time to process the scene in front of him, as Mark gets the door open, dragging the boy inside.

“Okay, okay ye—“ and the rest gets cut off as Mark shuts the door shut behind them, neither of them noticing Johnny standing there dumbfounded in the hallway.

Johnny — isn’t exactly sure what to do. He feels his heart hammering in his chest. 

Mark brought someone back with him tonight? Mark is going to _sleep_ with said someone tonight? Johnny is going to have to lay in bed right next door while the love of his life fucks someone else in the bed he should be fucking Johnny in?

Shit.

Johnny robotically makes his way into his own apartment, dropping his body onto the couch to stare at the ceiling.

“ _Mrowww_ ,” he hears from Sunny, who’s probably pissed he didn’t pet her the second he got home but he can’t worry about that right now. She jumps up onto the couch, climbing on his chest to dig her paws into his neck to gain his attention. The weight is a welcome distraction, and he absentmindedly scratches under her chin while trying to simultaneously smother his face in a pillow.

He wonders if the boy is a better fuck than him. If he knows that Mark has that one particular spot behind his ear that turns his limbs to jelly. If he knows _just_ how to fuck Mark that has him whining instantly.

“Sunny, what do I _do,”_ Johnny groans out loud. Sunny ignores him, as usual, turning around on his chest so that her butt is directly in his face, before laying back down. He sighs.

There’s too much swirling around his head, but at least Johnny knows — no use confessing now. Mark clearly doesn’t feel the same way and there’s no use jeopardizing their friendship.

But — Johnny doesn’t know if he can deal with Mark...fucking other people? He knows he has no claim on him, he can’t judge Mark for anything when it’s not like they ever _really_ talked their whole... _arrangement_ out. Mark can theoretically fuck whoever he wants. But shit, does it fucking hurt. 

He eventually falls asleep, every single situation that might be happening in Mark’s apartment playing out in his head until his body succumbs to exhaustion.

Maybe in the morning he’ll have a clearer head.

✶✶✶✶

Johnny wakes up with a crick in his neck, still in his fucking jeans from the night before because he didn’t have the energy to actually strip out of his clothes and move to his bed. The morning sun has brought one thought to his mind: he needs to end things with Mark.

At least after all of this, Mark will still be around — still hang out with him and marathon Netflix shows on his couch and cuddle with his cat. But he just, he _doesn’t_ think he can handle knowing Mark’s sleeping with other people as well, not with all these fucking _feelings_ in his chest (feelings that Mark absolutely does _not_ need to know about now).

When Johnny makes up his mind, he needs to take care of it immediately, which is why he fishes his phone from where it’s lodged between two cushions and immediately sends Mark a text.

 **Johnny [10:09 am]**  
Hey, are you free? Something I wanna talk to you about

 **Mark [10:10 am]**  
omg yea for sure dude, there’s someone i want u to meet actually!!

Johnny bites his lip hard, frowning. Mark’s already going to introduce him to his boy? Jesus.

 **Johnny [10:12]**  
Oh um, I was hoping we could meet..alone?  
Maybe later though  
Colectivo @ 11?

 **Mark [10:16 am]**  
oh ok sure dude sounds good.  
meet u there :)

Johnny sends a quick thumbs up emoji, before shutting off his phone and dropping it on his chest. He breathes a few times, calming his heart pounding in his chest, before dragging himself off the couch to at least shower before he meets up with Mark. And put on different clothes that don’t reek of cheap booze.

✶✶✶✶

Johnny heads out to the coffee shop early so he doesn’t have to chance meeting Mark in the hallways. It’s probably weird to like, meet up somewhere when they live next door, but they both really love this particular shop and it’s become a regular hangout for them, whether on the weekends, or meeting up before Johnny has to go to work in the morning.

God, he really does spend a lot of time with Mark.

Johnny’s fiddling with his cup, in a seat towards the back when he spots Mark coming in. Mark’s eyes immediately find him, sending him a bright smile, before he heads to the counter and orders his regular. He makes his way over to Johnny after he pays, sliding into the seat across the table.

“Hey man!” Mark says, brightly, as Johnny tries to muster up a smile in return. Mark clearly notices something is off, corner of his lip drooping slightly. “What’s up? You said there was something you wanted to talk about?”

Johnny bites his lip, taking a slow sip of his coffee to buy him time, before deciding to just. Rip the bandaid off.

“Yeah, um. Sorry it was so last minute, I’ve just been thinking things a lot and like — I think we should stop hooking up.” Johnny avoids looking at Mark as he says this, staring just past his shoulder to the coffee bar as he tries to get his words out. “It’s just like — I don’t wanna hold you back from anything, obviously, and plus I’ve gotten really busy at work lately, so like. It’s probably better if we just keep hanging out as friends and like. No sex. Y’know?”

Johnny glances over towards Mark’s face. Mark’s wearing a completely undistinguishable look, staring at Johnny as his brain processes. He doesn’t say anything for a minute. Johnny fiddles with his hands underneath the table, picking at his nails as he waits for Mark to respond.

“Ha, wait. Wait, what?” Mark finally says, incredulous. “You want us to — _what?_ ”

Johnny takes a shaky breath in, steeling himself. “I just think it’d be better for our friendship to take the sex out of it. Then we have no worries if we want to ever see other people, nothing to stress about.”

“I’m — Johnny, are you saying you _want_ to see other people?” Mark’s voice is rising now, and Johnny is confused. He frowns.

“What? No, I’m not saying that but — what does it matter? I mean, you’re clearly seeing other people based off what I saw last night, and I don’t want anything to ever get weird between us, obviously, if anything ever gets serious with someone.” 

Mark just looks more and more bewildered the more Johnny speaks, and Johnny isn’t really sure where this conversation is headed anymore. He figured Mark would just easily agree with him, and they’d be cool, and go back to their normal friendship, but now he doesn’t really know what’s happening.

“Based off — _what?_ Johnny, you aren't making any sense, what the fuck do you _mean_ ‘what you saw last night’?”

“I saw you and some guy at your door — like I said! It’s totally fine! It’s not like we ever really discussed anything, but I just think it’s better —” Johnny trails off, as Mark starts to lose it across the table from him. “What’s so funny?”

“Johnny. Jesus Christ, the guy at my door? That’s Donghyuck. My best friend. My best friend who you _know_. Who you have seen _pictures_ of. Oh my god. He surprised me with a visit this weekend and I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you — I wanted you to _meet_ him this morning, for god’s sake. You thought I was _fucking Donghyuck?”_

Mark is full on losing it now, voice on the edge of hysterical, laughing so hard and far too loudly for a Sunday morning coffee shop at 11am. Johnny is just sitting there, trying to process what Mark’s saying.

“Oh so — you...didn’t sleep with someone else last night?” Johnny asks, completely unsure of what’s happening right now. None of this was what he expected.

“Johnny. Oh my god, dude, I haven’t slept with anyone else since we started sleeping together. What the fuck.” Mark says, bluntly. 

_Oh_ , Johnny thinks. 

When Johnny makes no move to actually speak, Mark barrels on.

“Like — yeah, we started this out really weirdly, I mean I definitely felt like I took advantage of you when we were high which was, y’know, why I totally freaked initially. But then you were so chill and kept talking about it being just bros or whatever, so I was like, sure, okay, he’s really fucking hot and a really cool guy and we get along pretty well. But — I’m pretty sure we’ve been acting like more than _bros_ for a while now.”

Johnny is floored. He can’t quite wrap his head around this conversion. Mark — hasn’t slept with anyone else. Mark only wants to sleep with him? Is Mark saying — 

“Um. Wait. Back up. Are you saying you have feelings for me?” Johnny asks, blankly. Mark looks at him like he’s grown a third head. He puts his head in his hands, taking a deep breath and pushing his hair back with his fingers, before looking Johnny directly in his eyes.

“Yes. Johnny. I have feelings for you. Annnd, I’m pretty positive you have feelings for me too, unless I’ve been reading every single sign wrong, then this whole conversation will be _really_ embarrassing for me. I’ve just been waiting for you to get up to speed and do something about it, but it seems like I’m going to have to be the one that does that, I guess, seeing as you thought I was _fucking my best friend_.”

“Oh my god,” Johnny says, unfocused. “Oh. My god. I’m so stupid.”

Mark rolls his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee. “Yeah man, you really are. I can’t believe it really took you this long, bro, I let you come on my ass in a bar bathroom while your friends were waiting for us.”

Johnny chokes on his own coffee, sputtering.

“ _Mark_ , please,” Johnny hisses out. Mark smirks at him.

“What happened to what you said in the bar that night? Thought you wanted _everyone_ to kno—”

Johnny lunges to slap a hand over Mark’s mouth, silencing him as his eyes dance in mirth. He probably deserves this. He sits back down in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Please, just — I need a second.” Johnny says, dropping his head into his arms. He hears Mark laugh across the table, but Mark allows him his time. He probably wastes at least 3 minutes like this, Mark patiently waiting for him as he — processes.

God, all of his friends had been so right. He can’t believe he was so — stupid. He’s been so in denial for months, for _nothing_ , when all he had to do was just _talk_ to Mark. Fuck. He groans, lifting his head up, hair flopping in his eyes as he meets Mark’s across the table.

“How you doing?” Mark asks, softly, amusement evident in his voice.

“I’m — good. If it wasn’t clear, I’m like — I’m really into you too. Like. Feelings. I have a lot of them. For you. And would love to fully talk about said feelings, in detail. With you.” Johnny’s voice _barely_ cracks, which he counts as a win, Mark’s smile growing with every fragmented sentence.

“You’re in luck, because I would also love to talk about your feelings. And also, y’know, my feelings.” 

Johnny knows he’s smiling stupidly at Mark, but he can’t bring himself to stop when Mark matches his smile back, resting his chin on his hands.

They’ve got plenty to actually talk about now, but Johnny’s never been happier, already lost in thoughts of Mark spending the night and finally getting to wake up next to him in the mornings.

(Also, their future three cats, but Johnny doesn’t have to bring that up just quite yet.)

✶✶✶✶

“Mark we are in an _elevator_ ,” Johnny hisses, Mark attempting to both ravage his neck and slip a hand down his pants at the same time.

“Don’t care,” Mark mumbles into his neck, nipping at the skin with his teeth. Johnny wraps his fingers around Mark’s wrist so he can’t get any further, but Mark’s mouth doesn’t let up, sucking a deep bruise. _God, I hope none of our other neighbors are out_ , he thinks to himself, gritting his teeth as the elevator slowly rolls up to the 4th floor.

The second the doors open, Johnny is dragging Mark to his front door, Mark stumbling behind him. He plasters himself to Johnny’s back as Johnny struggles to open his door, slamming Johnny against said door the second they get inside.

“ _You_ ,” Mark murmurs, teeth back on Johnny’s neck, “were being very unfair tonight.”

He bites down against the vein in Johnny’s neck, Johnny suppressing a moan as his teeth sink in, before Mark is soothing the spot with his tongue. He traces the mark before pulling the skin into his mouth and sucking.

“I don’t, _fuck,_ I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Johnny grits out, stumbling over his words. Mark leans back, wiping a hand across his mouth, raising an eyebrow.

“So you’re suggesting,” he looks directly at Johnny, pupils already blown wide, “that your ass directly on my dick for 95% of the night was just a coincidence?”

Johnny doesn’t answer, wrapping his hands around Mark’s waist, flipping them around and pulling his body against his own. He tilts Mark’s chin up with his hand, thumbing against Mark’s lips. Mark’s tongue darts out, dragging across the tip of Johnny’s thumb before sucking it into his mouth. He doesn’t break eye contact with Johnny.

“Shit,” Johnny exhales, “I really wanted you to fuck me tonight, but now I kinda wanna make you beg for it first.”

Mark takes Johnny’s hand off of his chin, wrapping Johnny’s fingers around his wrist and placing it above his head. He raises a challenging eyebrow at him. “Think you can make me beg for it, hm?”

Instead of responding, Johnny tightens his hold on Mark’s wrist and claims his mouth, deepening the kiss immediately. Mark sucks Johnny’s tongue into his mouth, not letting Johnny take full control of the kiss. 

Johnny groans into his mouth and lets go of his wrist in order to fit both his hands over Mark’s ass, lifting him. Mark immediately wraps his legs around Johnny’s waist, as Johnny brings them stumbling into his bedroom. They make it with limited bumping into walls, Johnny hoisting Mark to sit on top of his dresser.

“Fuck, you’re so strong, it’s so hot,” Mark mumbles out, hands feeling up Johnny’s biceps. His legs squeeze tighter around Johnny’s waist, pulling him in close so their crotches align. Johnny can feel Mark’s cock jerk, even through the layers of fabric between them. His hands run up and down Mark’s thighs, fingers digging in everytime Mark’s teeth graze his skin. It’s so fucking hot in this apartment and he doesn’t know why him and Mark are still fully clothed.

“Mark, baby,” Johnny says, voice strained. “Clothes, off.”

Mark doesn’t even respond, pulling away to quickly lift off his own shirt before attaching himself to Johnny again, fingers fumbling with the buttons.

“Why,” Mark asks, grumbling against Johnny’s sweat damp skin, “do you always have. So. Many. Buttons.” He punctuates each word with a sharp nip to Johnny’s collarbone, as he gets to the bottom of Johnny’s shirt. Johnny let’s go of Mark for a split second so he can let it fall off his shoulders to the floor.

“I thought you liked how I looked in my clothes.” Johnny raises an eyebrow, then shivers as Mark licks a line down his chest.

“I do like how you look in your clothes,” Mark looks up at Johnny through his lashes, lips red and spit slick. “I just like how you look out of them better.”

Mark’s tongue traces the line of Johnny’s shoulder tattoo, before attaching his lips to one of Johnny’s nipples. Johnny groans, succumbing to the warm wet heat of Mark’s mouth, his tongue swirling around the hardened bud.

“God, _yeah,_ ” he exhales, breathless, as Mark attacks his other nipple with the same fervor, one of his hands coming up to tweak at his right one again.

Mark’s mouth releases with a soft pop, his arms wrapping around Johnny’s neck again as he straightens out so he can kiss him again.

“Fuck, someone’s eager,” Johnny gets out, their lips parting with a soft _smack_.

“You know how horny I get when Ten gives me tequila,” Mark grumbles out, eyes glassy as he blinks, slowly. “What happened to making me beg for it?”

Johnny’s eyes go dark, fitting his hands around Mark’s thighs as he hoists him up again, turning to drop him onto the bed. Mark’s back hits the mattress with a soft _oof_ , gaze heavy-lidded as he watchesJohnny rid himself of his pants, leaving only his underwear as he climbs on top of Mark. He grabs both of Mark’s wrists in his hand, placing them over his head as he sits his ass back on Mark’s dick, straining in his jeans. 

Mark’s brow furrows as Johnny grinds back, punching a moan out of him. 

“This what you wanted?” Johnny grins sharply, tightening his hold.

“Yo— _fuck_ —you asshole.” Mark’s says, straining to try and fuck his hips up but Johnny allowing him no leeway.

“You don’t sound that worked up yet, Markie, guess I gotta work harder,” Johnny says as he thoughtlessly thumbs one of Mark’s nipples. Mark’s body jolts in Johnny’s grasp, but he doesn’t let up, grinding his ass down harder against Mark’s dick.

Johnny’s relentless, not letting up until Mark is squirming, chest heaving, loud whimpers escaping his mouth as he tries to twist out of Johnny’s hold. Johnny himself is getting restless as well, the firm press of Mark’s erection against his ass making his own untouched cock throb.

“Fuck, shit, oh my god,” Mark whines, voice stretched thin. “Please, god, please just fucking fucking _touch_ me, or _something_.”

“Baby, I am touching you,” Johnny parrots back, but yields, lifting his hips so he can rid Mark of his jeans with his free hand. His other he keeps tight around Mark’s wrists, pinning him to the bed as he wiggles his hips out of his clothes.

Now that Mark’s cock is free, Johnny wraps a hand around it, jerking slowly, not providing any real friction. Mark goans, trying to fuck up into Johnny’s fist. Johnny leans down, so their noses are brushing together, Mark’s eyes glaring into his.

“Someone’s gotta learn how to chill,” Johnny hums, pecking Mark on the mouth before releasing him completely, twisting his body to open the nightstand drawer and pull out his lube. He sits back on Mark’s highs, knees bracketing his hips, as he uncaps the lube, drizzling some out onto his palm to warm it up.

Johnny coats two of his fingers, reaching a hand back so he can trace around his rim. Mark eyes him hungry, finally moving so that his palms rest on Johnny’s thighs. Johnny sighs as he slips a finger inside, wiggling it around a little bit. They like to switch off, depending on the mood, so he’s able to stretch himself out quickly if he wants to.

Today though, he waits, crooking his finger as he feels himself loosen up, but not inserting another yet. He fucks his finger in and out, Mark’s gaze following his every movement, fingers twitching against his thighs. Mark’s clearly growing impatient, but Johnny just sighs, bearing down against his hand.

“Feels so good, Mark,” Johnny hums, using his other slick finger to trace around his rim. He finally grazes against his prostate, letting out a breathy _ohh_ , as he rubs against the gland. 

Something in Mark finally _breaks_ at this, and the next thing Johnny knows is that he’s being pulled forward, falling over on Mark’s chest, breaking his fall with his free hand. Mark’s hands are hot on his ass, and Johnny lets out a gasp as he feels one of Mark’s fingers slide in to join his own, breaking off into a moan as Mark crooks his finger.

“ _Shit_ , okay, okay, I get it,” Johnny laughs, breathless, as Mark smirks at him.

“Johnny, _babe_ ,” Mark starts, “I swear to god, if you do not _sit on my dick_ in the next two minutes…” He punctuates this by fucking his finger in, hard, Johnny involuntarily clenching around him.

“That—shit, that didn’t exactly sound like begging, baby,” Johnny gasps, grinding down on both his and Mark’s fingers.

“Dude, _please_ sit on my dick. _Please_ ,” Mark relents, getting desperate now. Johnny grins, knowing he’s won, dragging himself off his and Mark’s fingers before finding the lube again. 

He positions himself over Mark’s cock, using the lube to slick it up, Mark pulsing in his hand as Johnny _finally_ touches him. He grabs the base, rubbing the head around his hole to smear more lube there, before sinking down on his knees, letting out a soft sigh as he takes more and more of Mark’s cock. 

He bottoms out, giving himself a minute to stretch around Mark’s length. Mark is almost silent, his fingers digging into Johnny’s hips as he tries not thrust up. Johnny appreciates it, shifting slightly where he sits and watching Mark’s brow pinch. He clenches, experimentally, before deeming himself good, lifting barely off Mark’s length before dropping back down again.

“Baby,” Johnny breathes out, repeating the motion a little faster this time. He sets a slow, but deep rhythm, taking Mark in as deeply as possible, reveling in the easy drag of Mark’s cock against his walls.

“Johnny, shit,” Mark says as Johnny bounces on his dick, thighs beginning to strain from the effort. “You feel so good, oh my god.”

Johnny bites his lip, balancing himself with a hand on Mark’s chest as he tries to quicken his pace, Mark’s dick hot and throbbing inside of him. Johnny’s free hand wraps around his own cock, stroking himself, doing his best to match the pace. 

He feels the coil of his incoming orgasm in his stomach, Mark’s hips starting to thrust up to meet Johnny’s. Johnny presses his eyes shut, moaning as he fucks harder into his fist, fucks harder down onto Mark’s cock.

“Mark, markmarkmark,” Johnny chants, as Mark drives his hips up at a perfect angle and Johnny’s coming apart, dick pulsing in his hand as his come shoots out onto Mark’s stomach. He drops his ass back down, chest heaving as his orgasm washes through his body, until he spurts out one pathetic last drip. His limbs feel all tingly, but he can feel Mark throb inside him, feel Mark holding back from thrusting back up into Johnny’s tight heat.

Johnny pulls himself off of Mark, gritting his teeth as Mark slips out of his ass. He leans his body over Mark, dragging his hand through his come painting Mark’s skin, before wrapping it around his erection. Mark lets out a low groan, his dick wet and slick in Johnny’s palm as he strokes him, twisting around the head. Mark’s close, Johnny knows, his moans pitching higher and higher the closer he gets to orgasm. 

It only takes a minute or so until Mark is coming, his own come mixing in with Johnny’s on his stomach. Johnny slows his hand until Mark’s cock stops pulsing, leaning down to press a long kiss to Mark’s lips, which he reciprocates easily, nipping at Johnny’s lip as he pulls away again.

“Hi, baby,” Johnny says, resting his forehead against Mark’s. Mark smiles softly at him, bumping their noses together.

“Get off me, you giant,” Mark giggles, his hand slapping at Johnny’s chest. “Shower?”

Johnny nods, climbing off of Mark, onto the floor, pulling Mark in after him. They wash up slowly, washing the come off Mark’s chest and the lube from Johnny’s ass. Mark pulls on one of Johnny’s shirts, the loose collar showing off so much of his shoulders, causing Johnny to tackle him back into bed and kiss him lazily.

They fall asleep next to each other, Sunny asleep on Mark’s chest, his legs tangled with Johnny’s. 

✶✶✶✶

In the morning, he wakes up, and Mark is there.

**Author's Note:**

> i actually had an entire list of things I wanted them to do in chicago, and i didn't get to all of them, so maybe one day...
> 
> come hang with me on [twt](https://twitter.com/kittykooks)!


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